The Key To Marauding
by Anoron
Summary: What if Dawn jumped instead of Buffy? What if she landed at Hogwarts? What if she befriended the four most troublesome boys ever to set foot in the school: the Marauders?
1. Brave New World

Title: The Key To Marauding  
  
. Author: Anoron  
  
. Rating: R (mild language, violence and sexual references in later chapters.  
  
. Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns everything to do with the Harry Potter world (which she doesn't deserve since she goes around randomly killing off the sexiest character!) and Joss Whedon owns all things Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am neither of those people.  
  
. Summary: What if Dawn jumped instead of Buffy? What if she landed at Hogwarts? What if she befriended the four most troublesome boys ever to set foot in the school: the Marauders?  
  
. Notes: 1) Not too difficult to understand, really. Dawn jumped, not Buffy. She landed in Hogwarts in the time of the Marauders (and yes this is OotP compatible).  
  
. 2) This is a different sort of characterisation for Dawn than I usually write- she is NOT the mini-Buffy, she is rather weak and uncertain (particularly at first). Fear not, she will evolve, but I am aware not all people will enjoy seeing Dawn this way. So if you don't like it, that's fine, I understand, but don't bother to flame me because I bite back.  
  
. 3) I won't be updating regularly, I have far too much to do. I'm not one of those authors that gets peeved with people who demand updates, in fact I find the enthusiasm flattering, but be warned it won't have me updating faster. I will do as much as I can as fast as I can, but no promises, ok?  
  
. 4) I hope you enjoy, show me how great you all are at hitting that little review button, please!  
  
. ~Anoron  
  
PROLOGUE.  
  
"Shh," James Potter whispered, nodding towards the castle entrance. He and his two companions, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, froze as a middle-aged, stern-looking, but motherly woman came striding down the front steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The woman, Madam Pomfrey of the school's hospital wing, disappeared across the luscious grounds, out of the sight of the three fifteen year old boys she'd passed without a second glance.  
  
And with good reason, too; she couldn't see them. James' grin was smug as he lovingly fingered the material encompassing him and his friends. It was an Invisibility Cloak, an heirloom handed down from his father. James always said, much to the amusement of his three best friends, the two boys with him and Remus Lupin, whom Madam Pomfrey had gone to collect, that one day he would have a son, and he couldn't wait to teach his son to use the Cloak for pulling as many pranks as humanly possible.  
  
"Right. Coast is clear, mate," Sirius muttered, his pale blue eyes scanning the grounds for signs of life in the soft light of the dawn.  
  
They went to continue sneaking back up to their dormitory, but before they had taken two steps, great flashes of dry lightning streaked across the sky. It was an unearthly blue, almost white, and formed spider-like patters, the intensity crackling in the air.  
  
In one flash of blinging white light from directly above, the three boys were thrown flat on their faces, the precious Invisibility Cloak blown off to land in a pile beside them. Sirius and James were the first to stir, they heard a dull thud from somewhere nearby.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Sirius wondered.  
  
"Dunno, Padfoot. You ok, Wormtail?" James asked Peter, still face down on the ground. Peter's head gave a slight twitch that James took for a nod and he, like Sirius, pushed himself to his feet. Sirius was staring at something crumpled on the ground a little ways from them.  
  
Wands drawn, they crept up to whatever it was cautiously, preparing for the possibility that it was something hostile. The two friends realised what they were looking at as they stood side by side over the form, staring down at it in bewilderment.  
  
"Sweet Merlin," Sirius practically yelped.  
  
"What is it?" Peter asked, finally scrambling to hit feet, the Invisibility Cloak gathered in his arms.  
  
"It's a girl," James answered. "Looks like she's been banged up pretty bad, too."  
  
Sirius nodded, looking down at the girl, who would be about their age. She was unconscious, her clothing was bloodied and torn, and there were deep red welts in her wrists, as if she had been bound there.  
  
"Wonder how she got here," Peter wondered aloud.  
  
"We can worry about that later. Right now we need to get her up to the hospital wing." Sirius, the strongest of the three, scooped the girl up in his arms and set off for the castle. In the early morning light, James and Peter caught gleams of long hair that streamed down from the girl's head as they followed Sirius indoors.  
  
By the time they reached the hallway of the hospital wing, Sirius' arms were beginning to tire from the weight fo the unconscious form in them. But as he reached the doors, kicking them open before James could open them for him, the girl began to stir. A frightened whimper escaped her lips and all of a sudden she began to struggle against him.  
  
"Hey! – stop it-" Sirius sputtered, trying to deposit the thrashing girl on the nearest bed as gently as possible.  
  
The second Sirius loosened his grip, the girl scrambled away. She tumbled to the floor and scooted as far away as possible from the three boys, stopping only when her back hit the wall. Frowning, they all noticed that she'd left a trail of blood.  
  
"Er- I think I'd better go get Madam Pomfrey, tell her to get a move on," James said, backing out of the room. The others heard his steps echoing down the hallway as he ran.  
  
The girl seemed to be on the verge of hysteria. No sound had escaped her lips since her initial whimper, but she was shaking like a leaf, she had pressed her body as far back into the wall as she could. Her knees were hugged to her chest, her crystal blue eyes, as wide as saucers, were peering fearfully out at them from beneath a curtain of long hair. The two remaining boys in the infirmary shared a look. Peter's was bewildered, Sirius' was concerned. Slowly, hands out in fromt of him in a gesture of peace, he approached the girl.  
  
"Hey," he said, much gentler than last time. "It's ok. We're not gonna hurt you or anything. I'm Sirius."  
  
The girl frowned at him and it took Sirius several moments to realise she's misunderstood him. He fought the urge to laugh. The amount of times he'd pounced on the opportunity to make some 'serious'puns about his name, now it seemed like he was doing it without even trying.  
  
"No! I mean, I'm Sirius Black, that's my name. Not serious. . . though I was being serious when I said we wouldn't hurt you, and, ah. . . I'm not doing too good here. Maybe I should start again?" He gave her his most charming lopsided grin.  
  
Though she was still curled up protectively, and the guarded expression had not left her eyes, the girl's shaking was not nearly as violent as it had been a minute ago. Disappointed with his failure to make her return his grin, Sirius pouted. That very smile he'd used to make scores of girls his willing slaves hadn't worked on this one girl. She was still afraid. He noticed Peter creeping closer to them and decided to vent against his chubby friend.  
  
"Wormtail, what are you doing?" Sirius demanded, rounding on him. "Your ugly face is scaring the poor girl so bad none of my moves are working!"  
  
Sirius turned back to the girl and arched an eyebrow at her. The tiniest, barest hint of a smile was gracing her features, and both he and Peter were struck with the notion that she was quite pretty, despite her condition.  
  
"That's more like it," Sirius joked. "What's your name, luv?"  
  
After a moment's hesitation, she gave her name in a whisper. "Dawn. Dawn Summers."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Dawn," Sirius said softly, offering her a hand to help her up.  
  
Peter watched in interest as the two blue-eyed fifteen year-olds locked gazes for the longest time. Then, very slowly, uncertainly, Dawn reached up and put her hand in his. Though he was not overly rough in pulling her to her feet, Dawn winced. As the numbness of her shock was subsiding, pain was rapidly engulfing her senses.  
  
The second Sirius noted the multitude of bloody gashes in Dawn's dress, long cuts visible beneath the torn fabric, he hissed. How the hell could something like this have happened? Who would've done it? Who could have? He lefted Dawn back into his arms and laid her back against the bed.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey will be back soon. James went to get her," the chubby boy with the watery eyes squeaked nervously.  
  
"That's Peter by the way," Sirius said, settling himself into a seat by Dawn's bed. "And Madam Pomfrey will be able to take care of those cuts for you. How'd you get them, anyway?" he couldn't restrain himself from asking.  
  
Dawn flinched at the question, but was spared the trouble of forming a response as at that moment the doors banged open and Madam Pomfrey came sailing in.  
  
"Out of the way, Black!" she demanded, giving him a push out of his chair. Sirius joined Peter standing a few metres away from the bed as Madam Pomfrey began to tut, checking over Dawn's wounds.  
  
"These will need to be cleaned before I can heal them," the matron explained. She handed Dawn some pyjamas and drew some screens around her so she could change in privacy.  
  
Wincing against the now-stinging cuts, Dawn took several long moments getting out of the ruined dress and into the pyjamas, then climbing back onto the bed. When she was done the curtains were whisked away and Madam Pomfrey could get to work. But before she could begin, the doors opened yet again, revealing two boys framed in the entrance. One, with untidy dark hair, hazel eyes and glasses, Dawn recognised as the boy who'd gone looking for Madam Pomfrey. James, Peter had called him. The other boy was shorter, with dirty blond hair and amber eyes. He was leaning heavily on James, it was obvious he was weak and sick. And a werewolf.  
  
James helped the other boy, the werewolf, onto the bed beside Dawn's and before he could open his mouth to enquire after the girl, Madam Pomfrey spoke.  
  
"Potter, fetch the Headmaster," she ordered. She needn't have bothered.  
  
"You won't have to look too far, I daresay, Mr Potter," a raspy voice informed him from the doorway. They all turned to see an old man with a long, flowing silver beard and blue eyes that twinkled behind half-moon spectacles smiling at them.  
  
"Found him," James informed Madam Pomfrey with a smirk.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," Peter squeaked, suddenly aware that they could be in trouble, and their secret was dangerously close to being exposed.  
  
"Ah, I see we've a young guest with us," Dumbledore smiled at Dawn, who was being unceremonisouly shoved back against the pillows by Madam Pomfrey.  
  
Dawn tried to muster a smile for the kindly old man, but Madam Pomfrey had suddenly smeared a thick, orange paste over the first of her many cuts, and her smile came out as a grimace against the sting of the medicine. The boys all flinched, having been subjected to the orange paste torture at some point or other during their lives at Hogwarts.  
  
"Boys, I think you'd best be off- have yourselves an early breakfast," Dumbledore suggested pointedly.  
  
Peter's eyes lit up at the prospect of an early breakfast, but before he could take a step towards the door, Sirius and James' protests reached his ears. "But sir," they whined together, "we wanna make sure she's ok."  
  
Dumbledore gave them a shrewed look. "Very well. Perhaps you can enlighten me as to how you came across the girl?"  
  
"Dawn," Sirius supplied, shooting a quick glance in her direction. "Her name's Dawn Summers."  
  
Dumbledore turned himself to smile again at Dawn, who was squirming in discomfort under the orange goop all over her. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Summers. I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where you now find yourself."  
  
"Hi."  
  
Eyes twinkling at her understated and somewhat shy greeting, the Headmaster reverted his attention back to his pupils and motioned for them to tell their story. With multiple interruptions from each other, Sirius and James finally managed to convey to Dumbledore that they'd come across Dawn near the steps of the castle, apparently appearing out of nowhere in a flash of light.  
  
"Oh yes. And I wonder, what were the three of you doing out by the castle steps so early in the morning?"  
  
"Oh- er-"James began, suddenly lost for words.  
  
"Early morning walk," Sirius blurted. "It takes work to keep myself looking this buff, y'know."  
  
Someone snorted. Several someones did, actually, but the most noteable snort had come from the strange young girl, now blushing a deep pink and studiously avoiding everyone's gaze. Her head snapped up, however, when Madam Pomfrey trained her wand on one of Dawn's cuts.  
  
"What're you doing?" she yelped, scrambling back against the headboard.  
  
Madam Pomfrey, quite cross at her patient's uncooperative behaviour, spoke as if explaining something very simple to a petulant child. "I'm going to heal your wounds, dear. It won't hurt a bit, I promise. Just one tap of my wand and you'll be as good as new, won't even have any scars on that nice skin of yours."  
  
"No," Dawn blurted, surprising even herself. "I don't want them to disappear." It seemed she felt that something much more profound would disappear with all traces of her injuries. Perhaps her past, her identity. And Dawn did not want to disappear.  
  
Five occupants of the hospital wing were bewildered, but one simply nodded in agreement. "Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore intervened. "If you would be so kind as to dress Miss Summers' wounds the muggle way, and perhaps a potion for the pain?"  
  
Muttering under her breath about being told how to do her job, the matron quickly wiped the excess orange paste from Dawn's wounds and dressed them in crisp white bandages. When at last Dawn was settled back comfortably against the pillows, a pain relieving potion poured forcefully down her throat, Dumbledore turned to James, Sirius and Peter.  
  
"Now Miss Summers has been tended to, are you satisfied with her well- being?" They all nodded quickly. "Then I suggest you get yourlseves to breakfast. And I must ask that you do not make the arrival of your young friend here public knowledge just yet."  
  
"Yes Professor," they all mumbled, heading for the exit. "Bye Dawn, seeya Moony," they called, and Sirius tossed Dawn a quick wink as the doors swung shut on him.  
  
Dawn looked back at Dumbledore, who had made himself comfortable in Sirius' bedside chair. Madam Pomfrey was now tending to Remus and neither was paying them any attention. From the look on his face, Dawn already knew he was going to ask her to tell him everything. So she would. She knew she'd have to confide in someone, and it might as well be the one man who radiated more trustworthy vibes than anyone she'd ever met before.  
  
"I would like you to tell me about the portal," he asked politely.  
  
Dawn looked down. "It was my fault. I opened it- my blood." She took a deep breath. "That's what my blood does, it's what I was made for. I'm the Key. There was this Hell-Goddess, Glorificus, trying to take the Key from its keepers, the Order of Dagon, but before she could they hid it, all secreted away in a flesh wrapper. Altered everyone's perceptions and memories, so nobody would notice, and created a person out of the Key's magics. They sent it to the strongest warrior, they Slayer, but they had to be certain she'd protect it with her life, so they sent it to her in the form of a sister."  
  
Dumbledore studied Dawn a long time before speaking. "The Slayer?"  
  
"Vampire Slayer," Dawn clarified, a little taken aback. She was sure that someone as knowledgeable as Dumbledore would know the Slayer lore back to front. "One girl in all the world chosen to stand alone against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness? Something like that, I can't remember the exact wording. Giles always does that part."  
  
Again, Dumbledore stared at Dawn for the longest time before standing and speaking again. "Ah. Well Miss Summers, at the moment I would advise you to rest. We can speak some more when you are feeling well again, and when I have had a moment to consider your situation."  
  
"Thanks, Professor," Dawn said gratefully. She didn't know if it was the stress of telling a virtual stranger her big secret or just her condition, but Dawn was exhausted. In the bed beside her, Remus was already sound asleep. As Dumbledore left the hospital wing, Dawn's eyes fluttered closed.  
  
A/N: Well, what do we think? ~Anoron 


	2. Undertow

DISCLAIMER: Still don't own it. Still very hard to admit that, y'know. A/N: What can I say- I was inspired. Don't be expecting many more quick updates like this though, much as I'd love to devote my every waking moment to this stuff!! REVIEWERS: Thank you to all my reviewers, here's the honour roll; Tals, Gancomer, Eleclya111, Kiara-Zzyopen, Rachel, EllandrahSylver, Kat, voided, Sonofgloin, RoseWill, Melli, Zombiegurl98  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
Dawn yawned and stretched, feeling some tightness across her stomach as she did so. She looked down and realised two things straight away. One- she wasn't wearing her own pyjamas and two- her stomach was heavily bandaged. It took her a moment, but suddenly she remembered everything. She'd jumped through the portal and landed in some place called Hogwarts. If all the accents she'd heard so far were any indication, she'd landed on the other side of the world while she was at it. Oh, Buffy was going to kill her. Assuming she ever found her, of course.  
  
She started looking curiously about the room, taking everything in. The boy in the bed next to her, the werewolf, was still sleeping. He looked so sick that Dawn felt awful for him. Oz had always been even more subdued than usual in the days immediately following his transformations, but Dawn had had no idea that werewolf transformations could have such severe effects.  
  
She looked away, eyes still wandering around the hospital wing in the pale sunlight streaming in. It seemed that there were only two patients in for treatment at the moment. There were soft sounds of movement in the adjoining office, which explained the whereabouts of Madam Pomfrey, but apart from that, the hospital wing was devoid of life. Dawn flopped back against the headboard and sighed, already bored.  
  
"I know, it's dull as anything in here," a tired voice chuckled.  
  
Dawn looked over and found the pale face of her wing-mate looking back at her. "You spend a lot of time here, I take it?" Dawn responded wryly. No wonder, with the condition he was in.  
  
The chuckle immediately left his voice. "More than I care to," he admitted, a little bitterly, but in the next breath he was perfectly pleasant again.  
  
"I'm Remus Lupin."  
  
Dawn smiled shyly, not wanting to admit she already knew more about him than he would guess. "Dawn Summers."  
  
Neither of them could think of anything appropriate to say after that. Though curious, Remus' common sense told him not to question what he'd heard his friends say on the subject of Dawn's unexpected arrival. He didn't think it would be very nice of him to make the girl uncomfortable, she'd already had enough trauma for one morning.  
  
Dawn was equally as nervous about saying the wrong thing. She knew Oz had been less than proud of his wolfish side, and she certainly didn't want to offend Remus about something so personal. A few times the awkward teens caught each other's eye and smiled uncomfortably, before they managed to strike up a small conversation.  
  
"So this place is an actual magic school?"  
  
Remus' amber eyes sparkled, despite his illness. She'd given him an easy topic, considering one could talk about Hogwarts for weeks on end and still not say everything there was to be said about the place. "Yes, one of the best in the world. You could spend a lifetime here and still be amazed by so many things about Hogwarts. Most of it is a mystery even to those born in the magical community."  
  
Dawn's eyes widened. "Magical community? You're kidding? I mean, I've heard of covens and stuff, but I never dreamed there were actual communities full of witches and wizards and all that mojo."  
  
"It is a different world almost, as separate from that of the muggles as you can imagine. But there are no real covens here; that's Wiccan magic, a brand accessible to certain muggles, if they have a gift for it. The magic studied here is purer, it comes from within the being and is channelled through a wand," Remus explained. He had tried to put it in as simple terms as possible, and hoped she understood.  
  
"Oh," said Dawn, enlightened. They smiled at each other again, before settling back into a silence, this one slightly more comfortable than the last.  
  
Not long after, Madam Pomfrey came bustling in, wheeling a trolley containing their lunch and a couple of potions. Remus drank his quickly and obediently, but Dawn eyed hers suspiciously for several moments before taking it as quickly as possible. It was the same pain relief potion that she had taken earlier, but now that she was more alert, and in considerably less pain, it looked and smelled much nastier than it had that morning.  
  
With a wave of her wand, Madam Pomfrey had set up two bed tables over her patients, laid with steaming bowls of soup and goblets of an orange coloured juice that did not look to Dawn quite like orange juice. She lifted the goblet carefully to her face, trying to smell the liquid within. Remus grinned at her behaviour, having already taken a long gulp from his own goblet.  
  
"Pumpkin juice," he told her. "It's really nice."  
  
Dawn wrinkled her nose slightly. Pumpkin juice? She took a tiny, tentative sip and was pleasantly surprised by the taste. Remus smiled to himself at the way her whole face brightened, before his view was obstructed by the goblet being lifted to her lips once more. She then turned her attention to her soup, chicken and corn, which turned out to be as tasty as the juice, even if she was craving something a little more substantial.  
  
The doors banged open. Dawn jumped, startled, and her spoon clinked loudly against the edge of her bowl. She blushed at her own clumsiness as a few drops of soup splattered across her table and hastily wiped them away with her hand. Remus, however, appeared to have been expecting the interruption all along.  
  
"All right, guys?" he called to his three friends as they seemed to explode into the room.  
  
"All right, Moony," they returned. "Hey, Dawn."  
  
"Hi," she mumbled, overcome with shyness. She gave her full attention to her lunch, and was surprised when the foot of her mattress sagged under a sudden added weight. Sirius, plopped down on the end of her bed, was grinning broadly at her. Dawn smiled back, trying desperately not to blush. Sirius had the most charming grin she'd ever seen. She averted her gaze quickly and noticed that James had made himself just as comfortable on Remus' bed as Sirius had made himself on hers, and Peter had taken a chair in the middle.  
  
"Er- Padfoot mate, what're you doing all the way over there?" James called, only just realising his friend's choice of seating arrangement.  
  
"Checking up on our little Dawnie here, of course," he replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Dawn's eyes clouded over. Our little Dawnie. She'd always been 'our little Dawnie' to the Scooby gang, but in her heart she didn't know if she'd even have that again. With some effort, she blinked back the tears prickling in the corner of her eyes and took another spoonful of soup.  
  
"Don't worry," James called over to her. "We picked you guys up some real food so you don't have to force that stuff down anymore."  
  
"I think it's nice," Dawn said quietly as James finished rummaging around in his bag. With a quick glance about to ensure he wasn't about to be caught by Madam Pomfrey, he slipped Dawn a delicious-looking bun.  
  
"Fresh from the Hogwarts kitchens, with complements of the staff," he said proudly, and Dawn was blessed with the second nicest smile she'd ever seen.  
  
"Thank you," she said sincerely, flattered they would do something so thoughtful for her, especially considering they didn't even know her.  
  
"Anytime, luv," James drawled, wandering back to his seat on Remus' bed while the werewolf started in on his second bun.  
  
The boys all chattered about inconsequential things while Dawn listened without contributing herself. She didn't think she'd have a whole lot to say that could interest them at this stage, anyway. She did notice, however, that every time he thought she wasn't looking, Sirius would steal a sip of her pumpkin juice.  
  
"You can finish it if you want," she told him after the third time.  
  
James and Remus snickered. Peter stared at them, trying to figure out what was so funny. Sirius met Dawn's gaze with a sheepish grin.  
  
"Thanks, Dawn." He drained the rest of her pumpkin juice in one gulp.  
  
Tap tap. Tap tap.  
  
Dawn jumped, looking about for the source of the sound. She blinked, taken aback by what she saw when she managed to locate it.  
  
"Peter, let it in," James said lazily.  
  
Peter scurried over to the window and pushed it open, admitting a barn owl with a piece of paper tied around its leg. It flew directly over to Dawn's bed, settling beside her empty soup bowl. Dawn just stared at it, nonplussed. The owl hooted impatiently, trying to nibble at one of Dawn's fingers to hurry her up. She snatched her hand away.  
  
"What's wrong with this owl?" she asked aloud, a little frightened by its strange behaviour. Besides, weren't owls kind of. . . nocturnal?  
  
"She wants you to take that piece of parchment off her foot," Remus finally explained, the first to realise that Dawn didn't understand about the Owl Post. "It must be a letter for you."  
  
Timidly, Dawn reached out and tried to tug the parchment free. In the end, Sirius held the owl steady for her and the letter came loose in her hands. She watched, curious, as Sirius let the owl go and it headed straight back out the open window.  
  
Noticing her astonishment, Sirius shrugged. It was nothing special to him- just a regular delivery. "Owl Post. Hey, open your letter, who's it from?"  
  
"How many people d'you think it could be from, Padfoot?" Remus asked, slightly incredulous. For someone so talented and smart. Sirius could say some incredibly stupid things sometimes. Dawn had opened her letter and read the short note quickly.  
  
Miss Summers,  
I trust this finds you in improving health. If Madam Pomfrey deems you well enough, she will release you from her care this evening and provide you with clothing. If and when this happens, please have one of your new friends escort you to my office. Early in the year though it is, they all well know the password already. I look forward to speaking with you some more,  
Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore  
  
"Well? What does it say?" James prompted.  
  
"It says that if I get out of here tonight-"  
  
"Which you will. Same time as Moony, I bet," Sirius interrupted.  
  
"Well, then I'm, ah, s'posed to ask one of you to take me up to Professor Dumbledore's office. He wants to talk to me."  
  
Less than five seconds later, Sirius and James were squabbling like three year-olds over who would get to walk Dawn to the Headmaster's office. Soon the rising noise level attracted the attention of Madam Pomfrey, and the three visitors were chased from the hospital wing just in time for their afternoon classes.  
  
"Bye Dawn. Pick you up at seven," James winked.  
  
"No, I will!" Sirius retorted.  
  
Peter just waved and followed his still-bickering friends down the hallway. When peace reigned once more, Dawn slumped back against her pillows, drained.  
  
"Are they always so. . ."  
  
"Energetic?" Remus supplied.  
  
"Scary," Dawn clarified.  
  
"Actually- yeah," Remus chuckled. That was James and Sirius all over. Hogwarts' most frightening double-act.  
  
Dawn dozed off and on all afternoon, occasionally chatting to Remus in her more alert moments. Finally, evening fell and after dinner Dawn's bandages could be checked. Apparently satisfied with her progress, Madam Pomfrey handed Dawn what she assumed was the Hogwarts girls' uniform, sans robes, and released her from the hospital wing. She and Remus walked out together, only to collide with the three boys pushing through the doorway.  
  
Glaring at his friends, Remus got to his feet and rubbed his now- bruised backside, but Dawn stayed on the floor, gasping in pain. Her sudden fall had aggravated her wounds so badly that, her eyes stinging with tears as she looked down, she was surprised not to see blood staining through her bandages and white blouse. The boys all winced sympathetically. Remus gave his friends a pointed look. They did nothing. Remus cleared his throat, flicking his gaze towards the girl still crumpled on the cold stone floor. Finally taking the hint, James gently lifted Dawn to her feet and brushed her off.  
  
"Dawn, we're really, really sorry about that," he said with his most contrite doe-eyed look.  
  
"Yeah, we didn't mean to tackle you," Sirius contributed.  
  
Dawn gave them a small, watery smile. "I'll live," she muttered, her face still screwed up against the pain. They stood around looking at each other stupidly for a few moments before Dawn tentatively spoke up.  
  
"Um, which way to Professor Dumbledore's office?" she asked nobody in particular.  
  
Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, Dawn regretted them. Again, James and Sirius were arguing loudly over who would get to escort Dawn to Dumbledore's office. They were getting so animated that Dawn was afraid they would each latch onto one of her arms and play tug-of- war with her. She shot a quick, pleading glance to Remus and Peter, and Remus responded by raising his eyebrows and indicating down the hallway.  
  
Slipping unnoticed around the still-bickering friends, Dawn let Remus and Peter guide her in the right direction. The sounds of,  
"I'll take her!"  
"No, I will!"  
"No, me!"  
"No, me!" faded into the background.  
  
They had reached the stone Gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's office, and Peter had given the password in his unusually squeaky voice before James and Sirius caught up to them, puffing from the exertion.  
  
"I don't believe it, Padfoot," James huffed. "Not only has she ditched us already, but she's gone and ditched us for our best mates!"  
  
"We'll see about that."  
  
Before the others knew what was happening, James and Sirius, this time careful of Dawn's wounds, had bundled her onto the moving staircase up to Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Hey!" Remus and Peter barely had time to squeeze past the Gargoyles before they slid closed, blocking the entryway. They reached their destination and the four boys, having been sent here on a weekly basis at least since their first year, strolled casually in, leaving Dawn, still sandwiched between Sirius and James, with little choice but to go with them. Remus went over and began petting a bird with such beautiful scarlet and gold plumage that it made Dawn gasp in pleasure.  
  
"'Lo, Fawkes," James called to the bird, who returned the greeting with a single, quavering note that immediately made Dawn feel safe and warm. She stared at the bird, transfixed. She was pretty sure she'd seen a picture of one like him in one of Giles' many books, but she had no idea it would be so beautiful in real life.  
  
"Is he a phoenix?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Startled by her random knowledge, none of the boys could respond. A raspy voice from the landing above saved them the trouble.  
  
"Oh yes dear, Fawkes is a phoenix. He has been my friend for many years and he never ceases to fascinate me. I trust you are feeling well, Miss Summers?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm ok Professor," Dawn smiled, resisting the temptation to clutch at her recently aggravated wounds.  
  
"I am glad to hear it. Please, sit down," Dumbledore offered, coming down from the landing to settle himself behind his desk.  
  
Dawn perched a little stiffly in one of the armchairs while Sirius flopped into the other unceremoniously. James and Peter threw themselves onto one of the comfortable couches, and Remus chose to stand and continue petting Fawkes. Dumbledore stared at Dawn intently, and Dawn found herself unable to break the stare, however much she wanted to.  
  
"I have given much thought to your situation, Miss Summers, and if you are willing, I believe I can help you."  
  
"Ok. Good. How?" Dawn asked nervously. The answer she received was stranger than any she could have imagined as Dumbledore offered her his wand.  
  
"I wonder, if you would be so kind as to give this a wave for me?"  
  
Uncertainly, Dawn accepted the outstretched wand and waved it. She jumped when tiny gold sparks flew out the tip, dropping the wand to the floor with a clatter. "Sorry," she said quickly, reaching down to grab it. Seeing her wince with the movement, Sirius jumped out of his seat and retrieved the wand himself.  
  
Dumbledore looked quite pleased with the reaction Dawn had elicited from his wand. "Excellent, Miss Summers. Now, I must ask you, are you willing to work hard at your studies?" Dawn nodded. She hadn't exactly been attending a whole lot since her mother died, but she always had liked school. And she had a feeling this particular school would be way more interesting than Sunnydale Junior High, Hellmouth or no.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Well then, it would be my pleasure to offer you, Dawn Summers, a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, given the aptitude you displayed for magic a moment ago. Do you accept?"  
  
Dawn hesitated. Did this mean she would never see home again? It was as if the Headmaster had read her mind.  
  
"Of course, we would be only all-too understanding if the opportunity for you to return to your home should arise, and you felt compelled to take it," he assured her.  
  
Dawn smiled, reaching her decision. What did she have to lose? "Ok then. Thanks."  
  
She heard two whoops of joy and turned in time to see Sirius and James attempting something of a victory dance while Peter clapped along and Remus laughed. Dawn couldn't help but let out a small giggle, and she was sure she'd even heard Dumbledore chuckle. "It would seem," he told his new student, blue eyes twinkling more than ever, "that you shan't have a problem making friends here."  
  
"Unless she's put in Slytherin," James joked as the victory dance ended.  
  
"Slither-where?" Dawn frowned.  
  
"Slytherin," Remus supplied. "We have four houses here, which is kinda like a family for its students. Slytherin is where all the cunning and ruthless students go."  
  
"Oh. So what other houses are there?"  
  
"Ravenclaw, the smart house, Hufflepuff, the friendly house, and Gryffindor,-"  
  
"The best house!" Sirius interjected, pumping a fist in the air.  
  
"The ibrave i house," Remus finished. "As you may have guessed, we're in Gryffindor. I'm one of the fifth year Prefects for Gryffindor, actually"  
  
"Cool. So how do I get into Gryffindor then?" Dawn immediately asked. Frightening as they could be, there was a definite sweet side to all of these boys, and she hoped they truly would be her friends.  
  
"You must be sorted first, my dear. The Sorting Hat will be placed upon your head and it will determine which house you shall be placed in." While he had been speaking, Dumbledore had gone over to a shelf and taken a ratty old hat with a wide rip in the brim down. He crossed over to Dawn and placed it on her head.  
  
Feeling incredibly foolish, she asked, "You're not just doing this to take funny pictures of me, are you?" A split second later, she started at the voice inside her head.  
  
"Hmm, a complete enigma I see, and quite the challenge," the Sorting Hat mused. "Too pure for Slytherin, and sweet as you are, too shy for Hufflepuff. You've the brains for Ravenclaw, but not the time to catch up to their fifth year standards. And yes it is all here. A power within, courage and bravery that need only to awaken. Such qualities are always best nurtured in GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Dawn did not realise the Hat had spoken the last word aloud until two sets of boyish arms were thrown about her and loud cheers filled the office. Dawn pulled away from James and Sirius only to find Remus and Peter grinning at her.  
  
"Congratulations," Dumbledore smiled, giving Dawn the uncanny impression he knew where she'd be placed all along. She returned his grin readily. When the boys had calmed down, Dumbledore spoke again. This time, however, his voice was laced with a touch of concern.  
  
"Well, now we must turn our attention to the matter of your school supplies. Of course, they shall have to be purchased in Diagon Ally, and tomorrow so you may have them in time for Monday's classes."  
  
"Um, sir?" Dawn broke in tentatively. "I don't have any money."  
  
"That will be no problem, Miss Summers. I believe yours is a special case that warrants the use of the school account. However, I have spoken to all the teaching staff, and it seems that none are available to escort you to Diagon Ally this weekend. So. . ." almost reluctantly, the Headmaster looked to his four most mischievous students. "I wonder if I could entrust the four of you with the ask of aiding Miss Summers in purchasing her school supplies? Of course, it would be an unsupervised overnight trip, and I expect only the best behaviour from Hogwarts students out in the community."  
  
Devilish grins were plastered to Sirius and James' faces, but before they could say anything which was likely to change Dumbledore's mind, Remus piped up. "Of course we'll be on our best behaviour, sir."  
  
At that moment, someone knocked on the office door. "Come in," Dumbledore called, and a girl with dark red hair and startling green eyes stepped into the room.  
  
"All right, Evans?" James greeted her, and Dawn couldn't help but note the shift in his entire demeanour. He was all of a sudden sitting up straighter, and he had taken a much more mature tone of voice. Dawn shot a look to Sirius, eyebrows raised, only to find him smirking back over his friend's obviously affected nature.  
  
"Potter," Evans returned coldly, barely glancing at him as she approached the desk. "You sent for me, Professor Dumbledore?" Dawn frowned. She hadn't seen him send for anyone. How had he known he'd need to send for this girl earlier, though? Not for the first time, Dawn was struck with the notion that there was more to Albus Dumbledore than meets the eye.  
  
"Yes, Miss Evans. I would like you to meet Dawn Summers. Miss Summers is a new student, she has transferred from a muggle school in America. Dawn, this is Lily Evans, she is the other fifth year Gryffindor Prefect."  
  
"Hi," Dawn smiled shyly.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Dawn," Lily offered a hand, which Dawn shook, still smiling shyly.  
  
"Have a seat, Miss Evans," Dumbledore literally drew a chair out of thin air for his prized female student. Lily sank into it, waiting patiently for the Headmaster to speak again.  
  
"Dawn has been sorted into Gryffindor, and I was hoping I could count on your help in settling her into the girls' dormitories. She will also need extensive tutoring to catch up to the fifth year standards, if you think you'll have time, what with your other duties. . ."  
  
Lily smiled accommodatingly. "It won't be a problem, sir. If Dawn wants help, I'd be more than happy to make the time."  
  
"I could help, too," James offered quickly.  
  
Instantly, Lily's gaze hardened. "I should have made myself clear. I'll be happy to tutor Dawn ione on onei," she amended. James' face fell.  
  
"Nice try, Prongs," Sirius commented, trying to keep the laugh out of his voice. Peter looked genuinely baffled that someone would dare be so cold to the great James Potter, Sirius' blue eyes were dancing with mirth, and Dawn noticed that even Remus had once again become very intent on petting Fawkes, his face carefully hidden from view.  
  
Dumbledore chose this moment to conclude the little meeting. "Well. If you four boys would be so kind as to bring Miss Summers back here after breakfast in the morning, I will have finalised your travel arrangements. Miss Evans will show you to your dormitory now, Miss Summers. Good night to you all."  
  
"Thank you, Professor," Dawn said as she stood, truly grateful for everything he'd done for her already. She followed the others through the school until the came to a portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress.  
  
"The password is Lion's Den," Lily informed Dawn. As she said the words, the portrait swung open on hinges, exposing a hole through which they all clambered. Dawn's jaw dropped a little at the sight of the cosy Common Room, full of comfortable armchairs and couches, long tables and a warm, crackling fire.  
  
"Our dorms are up this way," Lily gestured to the right hand staircase.  
  
"We'll meet you down here before breakfast," Sirius told Dawn as the boys all headed towards the left staircase.  
  
"Ok. What time's breakfast?"  
  
"About seven thirty," Remus supplied, eliciting groans from the other three boys. Who knew there was a seven thirty in the morning on Saturdays? They all said goodnight and went their separate ways. As she put her foot on the first step, Lily was detained by a voice calling out across the empty Common Room to her.  
  
"Hey, Evans? Will you go out with me?"  
  
"No, Potter," Lily called back, not even looking around. "Come on," she told Dawn, making her way up to the dorms.  
  
Dawn turned and gave one last wave to the boys before scrambling after Lily. . end chapter 1 . ~Anoron . 


	3. Silence

DISCLAIMER: Still don't own it. Still very hard to admit that, y'know. A/N: Ok, this is the last of the chapters I had all ready to go, so it may be a while before you hear from me. Don't worry though, I WILL NOT abandon this little nugget. A/N 2: To all those waiting patiently to see some Slytherins (and some deeper explanations) you've only got a couple of chapters to wait, I promise. And yes, there will be a pairing. ;-) Actually you can probably already guess the pairing!  
  
REVIEWERS: Thank you to all my reviewers, here's the honour roll; Queensarrow, Rosewill, Rachel, Jillian, Bluie Twilight Star, Kat, Charlotte, Sonofgloin, Eleclyalll, ZombieGurl98  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
Dawn awoke on the most comfortable bed she'd ever slept in, yawning and blinking in the darkness. She frowned, wondering why it was so dark, until suddenly it dawned on her; the curtains were drawn around her bed. Her bed in the fifth year girls' dormitories for Gryffindor, at Hogwarts. She sighed. It was too much to hope that this was all just some strange dream.  
  
Pushing aside potentially depressing thoughts, Dawn stretched and got out of bed, careful to slide the hangings aside as quietly as possible, lest she wake Lily or any of the other girls in the dorm. She didn't think a 7AM wake-up call on a Saturday morning would make the best first impression. There was a small bundle that someone had left on her bedside table, and on closer inspection Dawn found a clean blouse and skirt, and a toiletries bag. She gratefully seized the offering and tiptoed through the door Lily had pointed out as the bathroom entrance. Dawn quickly bathed, mindful of her bandages, and was soon dressed and ready as she ever would be to face whatever the day held in store for her.  
  
She slipped downstairs, stepping into the quiet Common Room at the same time as Remus, who was already looking much better than he had yesterday.  
  
"Morning, Dawn," he grinned.  
  
"Hey Remus. How's it going?" Dawn replied easily. All that time couped up together in the hospital wing had slightly accustomed her to the sweet young werewolf.  
  
"All right. How'd you sleep? I guess the first night in a strange place is always weird- I don't think I slept at all my first night at Hogwarts."  
  
As Remus finished speaking, Dawn heard several sets of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs and a moment later, a bleary-eyed James, Peter and Sirius stumbled into the room.  
  
"Who's genius idea was this?" James grumbled, while Sirius yawned and stretched beside him.  
  
"Don't worry Prongs, a good breakfast will wake you up." At the mention of breakfast, Peter immediately perked up, ushering the group towards the portrait hole. "Instant Wormtail- just add breakfast," Sirius quipped, winking at Dawn as she giggled.  
  
They made their way down to the Great Hall, and Dawn stumbled clumsily into a seat at the Gryffindor table, her eyes focused on the ceiling. It was just like looking straight up at the pale morning sky, and Dawn was so captivated she barely even noticed her own less-than-graceful entrance. "How-?"  
  
Remus, the only one who had not yet stuffed his mouth full of bacon, answered her half-asked question. "It's bewitched, the ceiling, to reflect the sky. Neat, huh?"  
  
"Very cool," Dawn grinned, turning her attention to the table at last while Remus dug in. The other three boys were already half way through their first plate each. Dawn quickly filled her own plate with bacon, eggs, toast and sausages, hoping to satisfy her rumbling tummy. James looked at her plate, eyebrows raised. It was covered with food, but still was not even half as full as his had been when he'd started.  
  
"Whoa- for a girl you can eat a lot!"  
  
Immediately, Dawn's fork froze an inch from her lips. Blushing, she went to lower it, but James was shaking his messy head, grinning at her.  
  
"No, it's brilliant! Most of the girls around here eat like anorexic rabbits. It's good to see that you eat right, Dawnie. Like Evans," he added to himself, causing Sirius to snort pumpkin juice out of his nose when he burst into raucous laughter. For a moment, Dawn thought Sirius was about to get a handful of James' eggs squarely in his face, but then it seemed as if James reconsidered and stuffed the food into his own mouth instead.  
  
Breakfast finally over, the group made their way up to the Headmaster's office, and Dawn couldn't help but enjoy the ride up the moving staircase this time. Despite the early hour, Dumbledore looked as alert as ever as he rose to greet them.  
  
"Good morning to you all. I trust you slept well in your new bed, Miss Summers?" his blue eyes twinkled in her direction.  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Ah, excellent. Now, I have made your travel arrangements for the weekend, as promised, but first I must lay down some ground rules. One, I would prefer it if your little excursion did not include a trip into muggle London." Both James and Sirius managed to keep straight faces, though Dumbledore was smiling knowingly at them.  
  
"Two, I have booked three rooms at the Leaky Cauldron for you. While there, you are under the instruction of the Innkeeper Tom, and your curfew is sunset, no later. You are to be at the Leaky Cauldron by sunset and you are to remain there until morning. Understood?" Dawn nodded, as did the boys, although they followed somewhat reluctantly.  
  
"And three, the use of the school bank account is a privilege. I trust that none of you will abuse it." With that, Dumbledore handed Dawn an ancient looking key and smiled as she slipped it carefully into shirt pocket. He then handed Remus a sealed envelope. "I have organised a Port- Key to transport you all to Diagon Ally, and you will catch the Hogwarts Express home at 11AM sharp tomorrow. Any questions?"  
  
Dawn tentatively raised a hand.  
  
"Yes dear?"  
  
"Um, what's a Port-Key?"  
  
"A magical means of travelling, Miss Summers. Quite safe, I assure you. You simply touch an object charmed to act as a Port-Key, and it will immediately transport you to the destination it is programmed to go to."  
  
"Like a teleportation spell?" Dawn wrinkled her nose. "I hope it's more accurate than Willow's."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "It is very accurate, I assure you. Now if you would all take a hold of this- have a good weekend and please stay out of trouble," he implored the boys, handing them a length of rope.  
  
Dawn hesitated, then latched onto the rope, and the boys all casually took a hold of it. With a final smile, Dumbledore flicked his wand and Dawn felt a tugging behind her navel. She tried to scream, but couldn't hear the sound of her own voice, and then all of a sudden her feet slammed into a cobblestone pavement.  
  
She overbalanced, stumbling back against something. Just as her butt was about to hit the hard ground, a pair of hands hooked under her arms and she was hoisted back to her feet. She felt a twinge in her stomach from where the skin around her healing cuts had been pulled, and rubbed at them.  
  
"Are you ok?" asked a voice behind her, which belonged to the owner of the pair of hands that had caught her.  
  
Dawn nodded quickly. "I'm fine, Sirius. Thanks." She looked around to make sure no one other than the four boys she was with had seen her spectacular clumsiness. Luckily, it was quiet in Diagon Ally, but the second Dawn caught sight of the place, her mind was so overloaded that she forgot everything else.  
  
"Whoa," she breathed, stepping forwards, barely feeling Sirius' steadying hands slip away from her. There were just far too many different magical stores for her to take stock of all at once. Robes stores, Quidditch stores, stationary stores, owl stores, wand stores, and every other magical store Dawn could or couldn't think of lined the Alleyway. Slowly, a sly grin spread across Dawn's face. If Buffy could see her now, she'd have a fit. Then her smile dimmed a few watts. If Buffy could see her at all, she wouldn't even be here.  
  
By now the boys had all crowded around her, eager to see the look on her face as she took in Diagon Ally. They watched as her open-mouthed wonder morphed into a sly grin, which then inexplicably faded.  
  
"All right, Dawn?" James frowned.  
  
Dawn looked up, startled, as if she'd forgotten she was not alone. "Um, where first?" she said quickly, forcing a smile.  
  
"Gringotts," Remus supplied, pointing to an enormous white stone building in the centre of Diagon Ally. "We'll need to get some money organised for you first."  
  
"Right. Money is good," Dawn agreed, and they made their way up the stone steps and through the doors of the Wizarding Bank. Dawn stifled a shriek when her eyes fell on the creatures behind the counters. For a second she thought she'd walked right into the headquarters of Glory's minions.  
  
"Don't worry," Sirius whispered in her ear. "Wormtail is afraid of the Goblins, too."  
  
"Am not!" Peter burst out loudly, having overheard, but Dawn couldn't help but note the way his little eyes flicked worriedly at each Goblin they passed. She turned to Sirius.  
  
"I'm not afraid of them," she said earnestly. "They just startled me, that's all."  
  
While they had been talking, Remus and James had each gone up to a Goblin teller to make a transaction.  
  
"Come on, Dawn. We need that key Dumbledore gave you," Remus called. She hurried over to hand the key to the Goblin, and Dawn noticed that he was already holding the envelope Dumbledore had given Remus, now opened.  
  
James pulled Peter over to his counter. "You guys go on, Wormtail and I have a bit of business to take care of ourselves," he winked conspiritually at the other three as the Goblin led them away.  
  
Dawn shot an inquiring look at Remus and Sirius, but they just shrugged far too innocently for her liking. The group arrived at what looked like a little mining cart and the Goblin held the door open for them. Dawn got in, a little apprehensively, and a second later she knew why. The instant the little door closed, the cart took off at break-neck speeds of its own accord. Dawn latched onto the side so tight she left fingernail marks in the wood. She was too scared to even turn her head and glare at Sirius, who she could feel shaking with laughter beside her.  
  
The cart finally shuddered to a halt, and Dawn had the impression that she was several hundreds of feet underground.  
  
"Vault seven hundred and thirteen," the Goblin announced as they piled out onto a small stone landing. She watched, fascinated as the Goblin drew a long, sharp fingernail down the centre of the vault and it unlocked, creaking open. There, in the very forefront of the packed vault was a decent sized pouch, labelled 'Dawn Summers'. The Goblin motioned her forwards and Dawn scrambled in, snatched the pouch up, and backed out as quickly as possible. She didn't want that unbreakable door closing her in.  
  
The ride back up to the surface was barely less terrifying than the one down, but Dawn managed to pry her fingers from Remus' arm once they reached the top. James and Peter were waiting for them, large, cheeky grins covering their faces.  
  
"Ok, let's go," James said, and they left the Glory's minions look- alikes behind, much to Dawn's relief.  
  
"Where to now?" she asked.  
  
"Ollivander's, I guess," Remus shrugged, pointing to an ld shop with an ancient purple painted sign hanging above the door. "Probably makes sense to start with a wand for you."  
  
Dawn followed the boys into the store, clutching her moneybag tightly in her fist. The wand store was dusty and shadowy, filled with row upon row of shelves stacked with long, thin boxes.  
  
"Miss Summers! Ah, I've been expecting you," a voice from the shadows announced.  
  
Dawn yelped. "I wasn't expecting that," she squeaked as an old man crept into the light and the boys all snickered.  
  
"Hello, Mr Ollivander," Remus said politely. "We've come to help Dawn collect her school supplies."  
  
"Yes," Ollivander muttered, his measuring tape already taking Dawn's measurements of its own accord. And Dawn really didn't see how the length of her thighs was going to have any effect on choosing her wand. "Hold out your wand arm, dear."  
  
With a confused look at her companions, Dawn slowly extended her right hand towards Ollivander. He studied it a moment before turning to a shelf and pulling out one of the boxes. From it he took a long, brightly polished wand and handed it to Dawn.  
  
Remembering what she'd had to do in Dumbledore's office, Dawn gave the wand a quick wave. An entire shelf of wands tumbled down. She practically threw the wand away from her onto the counter.  
  
"I am so sorry," she squealed, looking to Ollivander apologetically. She was absolutely mortified.  
  
"Quite alright," the wand smith waved her apologies away while Peter tried desperately to quell his shrill sniggers. "Perhaps this one," Ollivander handed her another wand.  
  
Twenty six wands later, Dawn was beginning to tire of the task. She also doubted there were any breakables left in the store that she hadn't, well, broken. She sighed dejectedly as the twenty seventh wand set its own box on fire, on the verge of giving up.  
  
"Don't worry," James told her, clapping a hand to her shoulder so hard she stumbled forwards a bit. "I heard that some guy had to try over a hundred wands before he got one to work for him. It's supposed to be some sort of record or something."  
  
"One hundred and nineteen," Ollivander confirmed. "In the year 1893, I well remember it." He handed Dawn yet another wand, and as she touched it, something clicked within her.  
  
A surge of power flowed through her veins and a green glow swelled around her for a moment before it subsided. "Whoa," she breathed.  
  
"I'd say we have a match," Sirius grinned, relieved that their time in the store was coming to a close. The frequent explosions and other destructive forces Dawn had caused with the rejected wands had only been funny for the first fifteen minutes or so. But it had been two hours since breakfast now and he was getting hungry.  
  
"Ah. Redwood, ten inch. Good wand, nice and strong. Core is the heartstring of a dragon," Ollivander announced, apparently pleased with the match.  
  
Dawn's relieved smile dimmed. "This has a part of a dragon's heart in it?" She looked at the wand and promptly put it down.  
  
"Do not worry, my dear. I never use any ingredients in my wands that have not been given freely by their donors. Dragons can bequeath their heartstrings in their wills."  
  
"Oh. Ok then," Dawn picked her wand back up and tugged open the strings of her pouch. "How much is this?"  
  
Ollivander named his price, and the moment he did Dawn turned her money over to the nearest boy, Peter, and let him handle the transaction. A moment later they had bid the wand smith farewell and were making their way back along the Alleyway, Dawn receiving a quick lesson on wizard money as they went.  
  
"I'm hungry," Sirius announced. "It's time for ice-cream!"  
  
The others just sighed, knowing there was no stopping Sirius when he had his mind set on food, and followed him into the ice-creamery. The boys all gave their orders while Dawn stared at the selection before her.  
  
"And what'll you have, missy?"  
  
"Um. . . That one, and that one," she pointed randomly at two different flavours and everyone in earshot immediately winced at the combination. As soon as they had all paid for their ice-creams, they wandered out into the sunshine and Dawn licked at her cone.  
  
"Taste alright?" James asked, watching her with a smirk.  
  
Dawn nodded happily.  
  
"Know what flavours they are?"  
  
Dawn shook her head.  
  
"Well, that red one is tomato sauce, and that yellowish one is chutney with mayonnaise."  
  
Dawn shrugged. Strange food combinations had always been her specialty. Maybe the monks who'd made her didn't get the taste bud detail right? "It's really nice, you should try it sometime," she said.  
  
James pulled a face before turning his attention to his own cone. "No thanks, give me triple choc and raspberry any day."  
  
They lounged around a secluded part of Diagon Ally while they finished their ice-creams, then headed straight to Madam Malkins' Robes for All Occasions for Dawn's school robes.  
  
She was grateful to be ushered off into a private room for her measurements to be taken, and returned to the main part of the store a little while later with the promise that she'd have three sets of school robes and one set of dress robes for collection within an hour. With a little help from her friends, she paid upfront for the robes and they moved on to the next store.  
  
An hour and a half, and an almost empty money pouch later, Dawn's school supplies were well and truly taken care of. They lugged Dawn's belongings upstairs to their three rooms at the Leaky Cauldron, claiming the single room in the middle as Dawn's. Sirius had got as far as opening his mouth to suggest himself sharing one of the double rooms with Dawn, but James and Remus had each elbowed him hard enough in the side to keep him quiet. When everything was stacked neatly in Dawn's room, they all went down into the Inn to introduce her to the taste of Butterbeer. Remus was pointing various landmarks of the Leaky Cauldron out to her.  
  
"That's the bar," Remus said.  
  
"Where witches and wizards all go to gossip," Sirius added.  
  
"And over there is a sort of meeting area, like a Common Room, even."  
  
"Where witches and wizards all go to gossip."  
  
"And there's the fireplace."  
  
"Where witches and wizards all floo in to gossip."  
  
"Sirius," James groaned. "Shut up."  
  
"That's the door that leads to muggle London," Remus said, pointing at the far wall of the Leaky Cauldron. Dawn's eyes rested on the door, a half-wistful expression flitting across her face.  
  
"London," she breathed. "I always wanted to see London."  
  
Remus bit back a groan as he watched James and Sirius exchange identical evil grins. Peter grinned to himself, wondering what exciting adventure his friends were cooking up now. Before Dawn knew what was happening, she was being dragged down a crowded London street for 'the grand tour- Marauders' style'. She looked incredibly apprehensive at first, not wanting to go breaking rules after Professor Dumbledore had been so good to her, until Remus came up with an excuse to ease her mind (and his own).  
  
"Well, Dumbledore knows you'll need casual clothes, too."  
  
"See," Sirius grinned, slinging an arm about Remus' shoulders. "This is why we love Moony- he's got all the technicalities to keep us out of trouble!"  
  
"But weren't we supposed to order her casual clothes at Madam Malkin's, when we ordered her robes?" Peter piped up.  
  
James hit him with a silencing charm. "And that's why we always practice out silencing charms on Wormtail," he added. Peter shot James a sour look as Dawn giggled at the antics of the four friends.  
  
"Pfft- practice. Who needs practice," Sirius scoffed, at which Remus rolled his eyes. It was widely known that Sirius and James were two of the most talented wizards Hogwarts had seen in a long time, and they certainly weren't afraid to flaunt their talents. It seemed their favourite outlet was their increasingly creative pranks on the Slytherins.  
  
A sobering thought suddenly occurred to Dawn. "Um, guys? How can I get my stuff in the whatsitcalled, muggle world? I don't have any money for it with me."  
  
"Why, Muss Summers, what did you think Prongs and Wormtail were doing all that time in Gringotts? Making friends with the Goblins?" Sirius joked. Dawn shuddered. The Goblins in the bank really had reminded her entirely too much of Glory's minions. She was pulled out of her unpleasant thoughts by James waving something under her nose. Her eyes widened as James stuffed the large wad of cash back into his jacket pocket. She'd never seen so much money just waved around like that in her life.  
  
"You've been planning to do this all along," she realised.  
  
"Yep," Remus replied unabashedly. "Why else would I have the whole necessary shopping excuse all ready to go with?"  
  
Dawn just smiled and shook her head as they made their way into the first shop. Two pairs of jeans later, she wondered why Peter was being so quiet. He couldn't possibly be that shy all of a sudden, could he? Then it hit her.  
  
"Hey, how long do silencing charms work?"  
  
"What? Why? Oh! Sorry, Wormtail," James realised and muttered the counter-curse. "Forgot about that." Peter scowled, until James wrapped him up in a bear hug and began apologising profusely in the most exaggerated manner imaginable.  
  
"Get off," Peter said in his squeaky voice as he pushed James away, but he was laughing along with the rest of them.  
  
A little over an hour later, Dawn had enough casual clothes to last her a good, long while. Aside from her two pairs of jeans, Dawn also decided on a couple of other pairs of pants, a few skirts, a handful of tops of assorted styles, and a warm jacket for the winter. With a cheeky grin, Sirius dumped as many of Dawn's shopping bags as he could into Peter's dumpy arms before offloading the rest onto Remus.  
  
"I'm hungry!" he announced, not for the first time that day.  
  
"What else is new?" James countered with a snort.  
  
"Well! We don't need them, if that's the way they're gonna be, do we Dawn? We'll get our own snacks!" Sirius exploded in mock outrage. He hooked his arm through hers and started marching her off in the direction of the food court. They had barely taken five steps when Dawn spoke up.  
  
"Um, Sirius?"  
  
"Yes, my dear Miss Summers?"  
  
"Doesn't James have all the money?"  
  
Sirius stopped so suddenly that Dawn stumbled forward a couple of steps before he steadied her. He turned around to glower at his three laughing friends, who followed them to the food court, still sniggering as they walked.  
  
As the boys' 'little snack' was about five times the size of Dawn's, a burger and fries which constituted a full meal in her book, she was finished much quicker than they were. She scooted over in her seat to speak quietly in James' ear while the others were occupied elsewhere. Remus was busy judging the speed-eating contest that had sprung up between Peter and Sirius.  
  
"Do you think I could have some money, James? There's just a few other things I need to get before we head back."  
  
While swallowing his mouthful of triple cheeseburger, James stared at Dawn. "What?" he said when he'd swallowed. "Don't worry, we've got plenty of time. We'll take you wherever you need to go when we're done here."  
  
"No, no, no," said Dawn quickly. "You guys are still eating. And I won't be gone long, promise," she gave him an almost imploring look.  
  
James frowned. "What do you still need, anyway?"  
  
Dawn felt the heat creeping up her neck and over her face as she blushed. "Just- something," she mumbled.  
  
It took several seconds of analysing the pinkness in the girl's cheeks and straining his mind to try and figure out what else she could possibly need to buy, and obviously not want four guys she barely knew around to witness the purchase, but finally James understood. A wicked grin spread across his face, terrifying Dawn, and when he spoke it was in a voice so loud she was sure the entire food court heard him.  
  
"Guys, hurry up. We still have to shop for Dawn's underwear!"  
  
The entire table froze. A fry that was dangling out of the corner of Peter's mouth dropped back onto his tray, unnoticed. Remus, Sirius and Peter all stared at the maniacally grinning James and the furiously blushing Dawn. Peter looked intrigued at the prospect of underwear shopping with a girl, Sirius looked much like James did; as if all his Christmases had come at once. Remus just gave the mortified girl a sympathetic smile, but his amber eyes were dancing in a way that told Dawn there was no way he was going to rescue her from her dilemma.  
  
"Thanks, James," Dawn finally managed to squeak out. "But I think I can manage this one myself, y'know."  
  
"No bloody way!" Sirius boomed. "We're going right now!" He looked down at his tray, at the half-eaten triple cheeseburger still sitting there, then back at Dawn, as if caught in a moment's indecision. Then he simply picked up his remaining half-a-burger and crammed the entire thing into his mouth.  
  
"Right then, let's go," he said around a chunk of meat pattie and jumped to his feet.  
  
Dawn's face was burning with embarrassment, but Sirius and James each took one of her arms and marched her determinedly into the nearest lingerie store. The four boys immediately started browsing the racks of lacy, satiny and otherwise intriguing undergarments, apparently oblivious to the stares they were receiving. Dawn, however, standing off to one side, was keenly aware of every eye in the store, as well as those of some passers- by, trained squarely on her and her companions.  
  
Peter was tactlessly staring at the life sized pictures of underwear models that adorned the walls while Remus, a hint of a shy blush staining his cheeks, was trying to figure out exactly how many different types of bras there were to choose from. James and Sirius were rapidly procuring armloads of underwear and Dawn hated to admit it, but it looked as if they had actual taste. Even if every garment they chose was very much on the racy side of things. They stood side by side, examining a black satin thong.  
  
"She'd look good in this," James mused. Dawn blushed.  
  
"She'd look even better out of it," Sirius countered with a wink. Dawn turned purple and ducked her head to hide her face.  
  
Remus noticed her alarming new complexion and sidled up to her. "Are you ok, Dawn?"  
  
Dawn just nodded, still refusing to look up. Remus shrugged and turned back to his bra deliberations. A severe looking sales assistant stalked over to Dawn at that moment.  
  
"Can I help you, Miss?"  
  
"No thanks, I've got all the help I can stand," she mumbled. "Unless you've got one of those floors that open up and swallow people whole?" she added hopefully. From the impatient sniff of the sales assistant as she turned on her heel and walked off, Dawn guessed that was a 'no'.  
  
By now, Sirius and James were satisfied they had the underpants front covered, so they turned their attention to bras.  
  
"There's so many different kinds," said Remus in an awed voice. "How're we supposed to choose?"  
  
"Easy," said James. "We'll just get as many of them as we can this time, and come back for the others whenever we can." Dawn's eyes widened at that. Coming back? More total humiliation in a lingerie store? She didn't think so, somehow.  
  
At long last, the four boys conferred and agreed they'd picked out all they could for Dawn this time around, and James and Sirius proudly dumped their selections on the counter. It took fifteen minutes for the clerk to ring it all up. Finally done, they picked up a bag each and turned to the mortified Dawn. Seeing her discomfort apparently for the first time, Sirius walked over to her and gave a mock bow.  
  
"My Lady Dawn," he said importantly. "On behalf of my Marauding friends and I, I thank you for the high honour of selecting your underwear. Our humble gift to you," he presented her with his bag.  
  
Dawn took the bag from Sirius' hand and, despite herself, she giggled. All four boys noticed from that moment on, Dawn seemed to relax just the tiniest bit around them. They wandered out of the shopping centre and started aimlessly roaming the streets of London, so Dawn could take in some of the sights. The city was breathtaking as dusk settled over the buildings and parks.  
  
"It's getting dark," Peter remarked.  
  
"Observant of you, Wormtail," James snorted.  
  
"Well, maybe we should be heading back to the Leaky Cauldron, if we want dinner before we go out tonight," Remus suggested.  
  
"Where are we going tonight?" Dawn asked, curious.  
  
"Clubbing," Sirius answered promptly. "Can't say we've shown you London till we've shown you the night life."  
  
"But we're only fifteen."  
  
James waved his hand impatiently at her. "Minor detail," he said dismissively.  
  
Dawn frowned in thought. "Ok, by now I've figured out that Dumbledore knew we'd come into muggle London all along," –the boys all looked mildly impressed with her powers of deduction- "but wouldn't that be why he specifically said we were to be back at the Leaky Cauldron by nightfall?"  
  
"Yeah, but he never said we couldn't go out again after that," Remus argued. It seemed they had well and truly thought this one through.  
  
"Yes he did," Peter piped up.  
  
"Silencio," James retorted, and Peter was unable to speak during the entire walk back to the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At five past twelve, Dawn heard a faint knock on her door. She gave herself a last, quick once-over in the mirror, which told her she looked "very pretty" and eased the door open. Sirius stood there, grinning, his dark hair flopping casually over on eye.  
  
"Ok, the coast is finally clear and the others are waiting for us outside. C'mon," he whispered.  
  
He grabbed Dawn's hand and pulled her quietly down the hallway, down the stairs, and across the ground floor of the Inn until they reached the muggle door. He eased it open and they slipped out into the balmy night.  
  
Remus, James and Peter stood on the sidewalk, grinning proudly at her, their doubts about her nerve dissolving. All of them had half expected her to chicken out at the last minute and remain in her room for the night, just as Dumbledore expected her to. Dawn smiled nervously back, supremely apprehensive as to what the night held in store for her.  
  
"Everybody ready?" James asked, and received four nods of confirmation in return.  
  
They made their way very quickly across town and Dawn couldn't help but keep her eyes peeled for things that go bump in the night. All those memories of being a Slayer's little sister seemed to be finally having a positive influence over her.  
  
"Ok, here we go," James murmured, pulling a piece of shimmery material out of his back pocket and enlarging it.  
  
"What is that?" Dawn asked.  
  
James grinned devilishly and covered himself in the material, becoming invisible in the process. "The source of all my power," his smug voice announced.  
  
"An Invisibility Cloak," Peter told her, his voice squeaking in his obvious excitement. "They're really rare,"  
  
James whipped the Cloak off with a flourish and reappeared. Next thing Dawn knew, she'd been pulled roughly to his side, the other boys crowding around them. A moment later, James draped the Cloak over the entire group and they slowly shuffled around the corner to the heavy front door of the club, careful not to let the bouncer hear them. It was only a few minutes before a large group approached. The bouncer checked their I.D.s and opened the doors up for them, allowing the invisible group of minors plenty of time to slip into the club.  
  
In a deserted corner, five underage teens suddenly appeared from underneath a Cloak and blended into the crowd. A small, wistful smile tugged at Dawn's lips. The club wasn't that big, there was a stage, a dance floor, a bar, some tables and even a platform above their heads. It was the Bronze, only English and it didn't admit minors. By the time she had finished looking around, James had somehow made his Cloak disappear back into his pocket. They threaded their way through the crowd and snagged a table, pleased to have made it into the club undetected thus far.  
  
"So this place is pretty cool, huh?" James yelled to Dawn over the thundering music.  
  
"Reminds me of the Bronze- the club back home," Dawn grinned, shifting in her seat to make herself more comfortable.  
  
Sirius and James were scanning the crowd, almost predatory glints in their eyes as they surveyed the several pretty young women in the club. Dawn grimaced to herself, wondering what made the two fifteen year-olds, handsome as they were, think they actually stood a chance with women five and six years older than them. They say around for a while, chatting and trying to remain inconspicuous lest security catch sight of them and cut their big night out short. But it seemed they were safe.  
  
All of a sudden, Sirius sprang out of his chair and made an announcement. "C'mon, fellas. . . lady. It's dance time!"  
  
Dawn balked. Dancing. She was never very good at that, with the movement and the grace and the style, all those things she really didn't possess. Dawn was all about clumsiness, awkwardness, and definitely not built for the dance floor.  
  
"I- uh," she began to stutter an excuse, but was immediately interrupted by a large hand yanking her forcefully out of her seat.  
  
"No excuses," James ordered while Dawn tried in vain to free herself from Sirius' iron-like grip.  
  
"I can't dance," she squeaked, large blue orbs fixed on the dance floor as if some horrible fate awaited her there.  
  
"What did we just say about excuses?" Remus scolded playfully, helping Sirius pull Dawn towards the throng of dancers.  
  
"Besides, didn't you just say this was like the club back where you're from?" Peter pointed out.  
  
"I never said I danced there!" Dawn protested, trying in vain to tug her hands free. "And Buffy only ever let me go there once, for Tara's birthday-" she felt a pang at the mention of her Sunnydale family and broke off. Before she could recover to finish her sentence, she found herself drowning in the crush of bodies. She now gripped Sirius and Remus' hands tightly, afraid of losing them and never being able to find them again in the chaos.  
  
The group found themselves in a pocket of space, Dawn's hands were suddenly freed and she bit her lip, praying to all of Willow and Tara's Goddesses that she wouldn't make a complete fool of herself. Sirius leaned in close to speak in her ear.  
  
"Just relax, Dawn. You can't be as bad as Peter."  
  
Looking over at the Gryffindor in question, Dawn's eyebrows rose sharply. A second later she was fighting the fit of the giggles threatening to engulf her as she watched Peter thrashing his limbs about not quite in time with the music. Then, all of a sudden, Sirius grabbed her and spun her around, a self-satisfied smirk on his face when she regained her bearings and shot him a dirty look.  
  
"See! Not so hard!" he bellowed over the music, giving her a winning smile.  
  
Dawn huffed, but nonetheless relaxed a little and attempted to dance. As the night wore on, she found that it wasn't as hard as she'd worried it would be, and couldn't help but think that Sirius was right on both counts. She also wasn't as bad as Peter. Nobody could be as bad as Peter, not even Xander.  
  
She sighed, shoving her sweaty hair out of her face. Xander. Twice tonight she'd thought of her lost family, and twice the loneliness had come crashing into reality for her. Remus noticed the sudden drop in her enthusiasm and raised his eyebrows at Dawn, looking pointedly at their table, which was still miraculously free.  
  
"Want to sit?" he mouthed.  
  
Dawn nodded gratefully. They waved to the others and threaded their way through the crowd to the table. Dawn collapsed into a seat, suddenly feeling quite drained.  
  
"All right, Dawn?" Remus asked.  
  
Dawn forced a nod and a half-truth. "I'm ok, Remus. Just feeling a little wiped out."  
  
"You've had a rough couple of days. I'm sorry, we shouldn't have dragged you out so late at night. Would you like to go back to the Inn?"  
  
"No, the others are still having fun," she said quickly, looking to the dance floor. It seemed that James and Sirius stood a better chance with the older women than she had given them credit for. Scary. "I just need to sit down for a minute. Really."  
  
"Well would you like a drink then?" Remus offered with a warm smile and Dawn nodded gratefully.  
  
"Yes please."  
  
Remus headed off towards the bar and Dawn let her eyes rove around the club, trying not to appear as the underage loner she felt like at the moment. But something about the club suddenly felt off to her when she stopped to really look. Something that made her feel. . . unsafe, somehow. A familiar kind of unsafe. . .  
  
Dawn's eyes widened as she looked around. The place was crawling with vampires, and something about the way they were moving told her they were getting ready to attack. Her blue eyes, wide as saucers in her rapidly paling face, landed on Remus as he reappeared with their drinks.  
  
"Here you go," he handed her a root beer. Dawn ignored it.  
  
"We have to go. Now," she insisted.  
  
"Ok," Remus said, nonplussed, and Dawn wondered for a moment if all werewolves were as laid back as both Remus and Oz seemed to be. She tugged on his sleeve urgently.  
  
"Please, we really need to get out of here," she begged.  
  
Seeing her distress, Remus nodded. He put down the drinks on the table and led Dawn through the throng of dancers to almost the middle of the dance floor, where Sirius and James were surrounded by women, and Peter was trying to squeeze into the circle with them. Somehow, Remus managed to get a hold of both Sirius and James and mutter into their ears that Dawn needed to get out of the club as soon as possible. Immediately, even.  
  
James frowned, not understanding until Remus gestured to Dawn, then the door, inclining his head as if to prod him through it. James looked back at Dawn, who was looking more and more terrified by the second; one of the women the boys had been dancing with, she was pretty sure, was a vampire. Reluctant to leave so early, it was only three in the morning after all, James sighed and collared Peter and Sirius, dragging them forcefully towards the exit.  
  
A blast of icy night air hit them as they came out into the open, and the pounding of the music was stifled by the heavy door thudding closed behind the group.  
  
"What's going on?" Sirius asked, a bite of annoyance in his voice. "Why the hell are we leaving so damn early?"  
  
Remus shrugged. "Dawn needed to get out of there. Are you ok, Dawn?"  
  
At that moment, the muffled sounds of screams reached their ears, coming from inside the building they'd just escaped. The boys were dumbfounded, but Dawn's worst fears had been realised.  
  
"Not ok. Run," she said quickly, giving the two nearest boys, James and Peter, a push in the right direction before taking off herself. They didn't need to be told twice; only Peter, the chubby one, lagged behind as the rest made it across town and back to the Leaky Cauldron in record time. At the door, they waited for Peter to come lumbering around the corner before slipping into the darkened pub and up the stairs.  
  
Collapsing together in Sirius and James' room, they all let out the collective breaths they'd been holding. Sirius threw himself on his bed, Peter and Remus flopped onto James', and Dawn slid down on the floor against Sirius' bed, huddling in a little ball. She'd never faced vampires before without the innate knowledge that her sister would be there to rescue her at any moment. Noticing that she was still not ok, James sat down beside her, patting her back a little awkwardly.  
  
"Hey, Dawn. What's going on?"  
  
Dawn lifted her troubled gaze to his. "Vampires," she said, so quietly that the others had to lean in to hear. "Attacked the club. We would've died if we had've stayed there even a minute longer."  
  
"Hang on a minute," Peter butted in. "How come you didn't know anything about our kind of magic, but you picked a club full of vampires before any of us did?"  
  
Dawn only hesitated a moment. The only people who knew about this, the only people she was allowed talk to about it, were a world away and possibly gone from her life forever. And she somehow felt she could trust these four boys with her somewhat unconventional upbringing. It was, she found, even easier than telling Dumbledore about Buffy.  
  
"My sister's the Slayer. In my world, vampires are a lot worse than here. Or so Dumbledore said," Dawn snorted. She thought the massive raid on the club tonight constituted a definite vampire problem. "Anyway, the Slayer is a girl chosen to fight vampires and demons, it's a birthright, much with the blood and gore and the little sister being kidnapped. After two or three times being kidnapped by vampires, and two or three hundred lectures about them by Buffy, you tend to start noticing the signs of a vampire attack."  
  
Sirius let out a low whistle. "Brilliant," he breathed. The other three boys, so busy agreeing with Sirius' declaration, did not see the silent tears that had begun to create glistening silver streaks down Dawn's cheeks. She curled even tighter into a little ball, gripping her knees to her chest so tight her knuckles were turning white with the effort. It was several moments before Sirius noticed the slight shaking of her hunched shoulders.  
  
"Wormtail, what did you do to her this time!?" he demanded loudly, ignoring Remus' quick whispered, "Shh, Padfoot."  
  
Dawn tried to force a laugh, but all that escaped her lips was a sort of strangled sob. James slipped an arm around her shoulders and Sirius slid off his bed to sit on her other side, offering silent support as he squeezed her small hand in his. Over her head, the two boys enveloping her exchanged confused glances, not knowing what exactly had set her off.  
  
Peter frowned over at Remus, and spoke in a low, contrite voice. "Um, what did I do?"  
  
Remus just shook his head slightly to indicate that it wasn't Peter's fault, his eyes never leaving Dawn's slim form. She let out a slight shiver, and it was then that he noticed their fire had died at some point. He aimed his wand into the fireplace and muttered a quick spell under his breath. It roared back to life, the crackling sounds and orange flickering drawing Dawn's attention. She stared into the fire for the longest time, lost in thoughts behind a glassy blue stare and James and Sirius, who could not see her face, started to wonder if she'd dropped off to sleep at some point.  
  
A hushed, husky voice startled them. "I miss Buffy," Dawn said hoarsely, drawing a shuddering breath. The four friends exchanged glances, each searching for something to say that would ease their new friend's pain. As it turned out, all they needed to do was listen.  
  
"It's just. . . I've never had to face anything without her before. She was literally my protector, she would've died for me if I'd let her. She made me feel safe no matter what, and I guess I'm just scared to live without that. And now I don't know if I'll ever get to feel that protected again," she broke off in another sob.  
  
James tried to tighten his grip around her shoulders, but was surprised by Sirius pulling Dawn out of his reach and into a tight hug. A feeling of warmth engulfed her. She snuggled into the boyish chest, letting the world fall away as she'd done in Buffy's arms not so long ago.  
  
"Never fear, the Marauders are here," Sirius joked lightly, eliciting a tiny giggle from Dawn as his friends rolled their eyes at his antics. Then his tone turned serious. "Don't worry, Dawn. We'll take care of you."  
  
As his words washed over her, Dawn twisted in his arms to meet his pale blue stare, surprised by the sincerity she found there. The last of her tears dried and she sniffled loudly. She immediately blushed and looked away, embarrassed by her disgusting display of nasal pyrotechnics. Chuckling, James slipped a handkerchief into her hand for her to blow her nose.  
  
"Sorry," she muttered, handing it back to him without looking up.  
  
"No problem," James returned, still chuckling as he accepted the now drenched handkerchief and stuffed it back into his pocket. Sirius had loosened his hold on Dawn, but had kept one arm casually slung over her shoulders, forcing her to remain pressed close to his side. Unable to resist, Remus arched an eyebrow at Sirius' apparently comfortable position, and was not surprised to receive a cheeky wink in return.  
  
"By the way," James told her, "Sirius wasn't kidding before when he said we'd take care of you. He really is the loyal type like that."  
  
"The loyal type of what?"  
  
Suddenly, a mass of black fur smothered Dawn. A bear-like dog had materialised by her side, where Sirius had been seated only a moment before, and Dawn let out a startled yelp.  
  
Immediately, she clapped her hand over her mouth, and the black dog's tongue slurped happily at her cheek before he turned and chased his tail a couple of times for her entertainment. Dawn couldn't help it; she burst out laughing and the dog bounded back over to lick her face again. Pale blue eyes pleaded with her, and Dawn took the hint to start scratching him behind the ears. She turned to speak to James, her hand still lazily petting the dog.  
  
"How'd he do that?"  
  
Careful not to disclose too much information too soon about all of them, James shrugged. "Sirius is an Animagi. Took the best part of three years to work out how, but he can transform into a dog at will, he's only just managed it these last couple of weeks."  
  
"Oh. So, can anyone do it?" Dawn asked, still trailing her fingers through the thick fur.  
  
"In theory, yes," James said slowly, for some reason his lips twitched for a moment as if he was about to smile as his hazel eyes flicked to something just over her shoulder. Engrossed in his explanation, Dawn paid the gesture no attention. "Though not all witches and wizards have the knack for it, it can be really difficult and go horribly wrong. Which is why the Ministry of Magic keeps a really close eye on anyone trying to do it, and why it's illegal to be unregistered like Sirius is, and why you really can't tell anyone about this. Ok?"  
  
"Sure," Dawn replied. It seemed only fair that they had each exchanged a secret now. It was kind of trust-inspiring. She didn't notice Remus and Peter's faces contorting with the effort of not laughing at her hand still stroking the dog.  
  
"I could get used to this," a smug voice announced.  
  
Dawn jumped and looked back to the dog she had been petting. Horrified, she stared at the grinning fifteen year-old boy who had reappeared beside her. Who still had her fingers running through his hair. She froze, eyes widening as Peter, Remus and James started to cackle. Dawn snatched her hand away, ignoring Sirius' crestfallen expression. She went to flee to the safety of her own room, but James grabbed her arm and she thudded back to the floor unceremoniously.  
  
"Sirius was only playing, Dawn. Don't go running off on us just because he happens to be a complete prat."  
  
She looked from James over to Sirius, who gave her his best puppy dog face. She sighed, her embarrassment not quite subsided, and gave him a quick shove away from her. The other boys laughed, and Sirius, straightening up, beamed proudly at her.  
  
"You'll be one of us yet," he declared. "Hey, if it'll make you feel better, you can try on all that underwear we bought you today and show us!" he said brightly, his voice hopeful. Dawn turned beet red once more.  
  
"Padfoot," James groaned. "Ignore him, Dawnie," he instructed. "Unless you really want to?"  
  
"Worth a shot," Sirius shrugged, shooting a winning smile in Dawn's direction, and her blush was no longer one of embarrassment.  
  
Remus checked his watch and sighed. "Well, it's 4AM. I guess we should get some sleep, if we wanna make the Hogwarts Express tomorrow morning. Well, later this morning." He and Peter got to their feet and made their way towards the door. "You coming, Dawn?"  
  
"Well walk her back to her room in a bit," Sirius said quickly. "Night guys."  
  
"Wait," Peter squeaked. "I thought Dawn was gonna try her underwear on?"  
  
Lightning fast, Remus slapped Peter upside the head and shoved him out the door a split second before James, wand already aimed, could hex the living daylights out of his chubby, clueless friend.  
  
"Night," Remus called as they disappeared. A second later, the sound of a door nearby thudding closed reached their ears. Sirius and James relaxed back against Sirius' bed, Dawn still nestled between them protectively.  
  
"Wormtail can be a prat too sometimes. Are you sure you're all right?" James prodded.  
  
Yawning, Dawn nodded. "Yeah. Just a minor breakdown a little earlier. Sorry 'bout that."  
  
"Don't worry about it, kiddo," James assured her.  
  
"I'm not a kid," Dawn almost growled. One thing would never change for her it seemed; even in another world she had to fight to be recognised as someone to be counted. 


	4. Business

DISCLAIMER: If I could afford Sirius Black, I would have him. But I can't afford him. I can't afford new shoes, either. Obviously I am not the owner of either Harry Potter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I bet JK Rowling and Joss Whedon can afford new shoes.  
  
A/N; Wow, you guys really put a lot of thought into this stuff. Flattering. Anyway, just wanted to clear it up about the time-travel issue people are so taken with. FORGET IT, ok? Time is seriously not the issue here, so I'd ask you all when you read this to do what I do writing it- pretend there is no time difference whatsoever. begs please???? It is, however, a completely new dimension for Dawn.  
  
A/N 2: I know I promised answers in this chapter, but the length was becoming an issue (at this rate it'll be over in less than 10 chapters and that is most definitely NOT what I plan on letting happen!) So, again with the sorry, but your answers to some of this situation will be explained as Dawn begins to learn about it herself. I promise that it is already written, and it is absolutely the first issue off the bat for Chapter Four.  
  
A/N 3: At least I managed to work in one meeting you were all excited for- those of you who've been waiting patiently for some Slytherins to weigh in will be rewarded (or more accurately, teased with it) at the end of this chapter. That other favourite snake will come into play in Chapter Four, or Five at the latest. I've written his intro, I'm just not sure if it will fit better in Four or Five.  
  
A/N 4: Patience, Eleclyalll, Remus and Dawn will be out of the wolf- knowledge closet all in due time. Kat, thanks, the underwear bit was my favourite scene, too.  
  
Last but definitely not least, thank you to my wonderful readers, and especially me reviewers! If I have forgotten anyone, I am REALLY sorry, my notes have been absolutely everywhere so if I wrote you down but missed adding you to my honour roll, please accept my apologies and feel free to flame. Thanks, Sonofgloin, EvilAuthor, RoseWill, Rachel, Tals, Kat, lkiara, Eleclyalll, Gancomer, EllandrahSylver, Jillian, Mademoiselle Morte,  
  
CHAPTER THREE  
  
Dawn shifted uncomfortably against the metal bar pressing into her back. She felt something move beside her and blearily opened her eyes. It took a few moments for her vision to clear, but when it did, she found her eyes fixed squarely on what she'd evidently been using as a pillow; Sirius' shoulder. She turned her head to the side and caught sight of James passed out next to her, glasses askew, head lolling back against the mattress, one leg thrown haphazardly over Dawn's ankles. Almost accidentally, she glanced towards the wall clock. It was ten fifteen.  
  
"Oh God!" Dawn bolted upright, startling Sirius and James rudely into consciousness with her.  
  
"Whatsamatta?" James mumbled.  
  
"It's ten fifteen, we're gonna miss the train," Dawn wailed. In a heartbeat, all three of them were on their feet, staring wildly about the brightly sunlit room.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
"Sirius!" Dawn admonished. Even Spike watched his mouth around her, so she wasn't one to really have a high tolerance for the swearing.  
  
"Sorry, it's just, I don't even remember falling to sleep last night!"  
  
"Neither do I," James said, then he took charge of the situation. "Alright, Dawn, you go and get your stuff together and get ready, and Padfoot, you make sure all our stuff is together. I'll go get Moony and Wormtail into gear."  
  
Without another word, the three sprang into action. Dawn followed James to the door, but before they could reach it, it slammed open to reveal a near-panicked werewolf.  
  
"I just woke up!" Remus exclaimed, staring frantically at them.  
  
In a flurry of activity that nearly turned the Leaky Cauldron upside- down and inside-out, the five Hogwarts students somehow managed to collect their belongings and make their way to King's Cross station with about thirty seconds to spare.  
  
"Sorry Dawnie, we just don't have time to ease you into this," James told her. She was still wondering what he meant by that when he disappeared through an apparently solid brick wall and Sirius shoved her unceremoniously after him.  
  
With a scream of terror, she stumbled through the barrier and was caught on the other side by James. He steadied Dawn, who was busy staring at the gleaming red steam engine seconds from departing while the other three boys ran through to the platform, laden with all Dawn's packages.  
  
"Let's go," James said, running for the nearest compartment. As Peter, last as usual, clambered aboard a porter came along and slammed their door shut and the Hogwarts Express was on its way.  
  
"Hey," Sirius started, plopping down in a seat next to Dawn. "Sorry about shoving you like that."  
  
"You scared the death outta me," Dawn pouted.  
  
"I know. I think they heard that scream all the way back at Hogwarts," Sirius snorted. Dawn glowered him.  
  
"Whoa, someone's not a morning person," James joked, lightening the mood. Dawn's face broke into a smile, which quickly became a yawn and before she knew it she'd fallen asleep on Sirius' shoulder once again.  
  
She couldn't remember the journey at all, having slept the entire day away. She felt the train shudder to a halt and opened her eyes to find the only light in their compartment coming from the hanging lanterns someone must've lit for them. The four boys were all still asleep, their snores filling the compartment and when Dawn looked out the window, she could vaguely make out the shape of a darkened platform.  
  
She turned and shook Sirius awake. "I think we're here."  
  
He peered out at the darkened platform, where he could barely see the sign that read 'Hogsmeade Station' in the gloom.  
  
"Yeah- home sweet Hogsmeade. Oi! You lot- wake up!" he bellowed at his still sleeping companions.  
  
Grumbling at the rude awakening, they all trudged off the train, after assuring Dawn that it was alright, they were supposed to leave all their luggage right where it was. A carriage was waiting for them.  
  
"Ah service," James sighed appreciatively, climbing into the carriage. Dawn, however, stood rooted to the spot.  
  
"What are they," she asked, staring at the two creatures harnessed to their carriage. They were horse-shaped, but winged with black scales and red eyes. They looked nothing short of evil.  
  
"What are what?" Remus frowned. She was looking in the direction of the invisible creatures that pulled the carriages as if they weren't actually invisible.  
  
"They're Thestrals," Peter said quietly. "I asked McGonagall once. You can only see them if you've seen death."  
  
"You've seen someone die?" Sirius asked both Peter and Dawn, a little taken aback as they both nodded uncomfortably.  
  
James' head suddenly popped out of the carriage. "Oi, I'm getting kinda lonely in here, what's taking you lot so long? We'll be late for dinner."  
  
At the mention of food, the hungry teens immediately forgot the sombre conversation they'd just been having and piled into the carriage for the short trip up to the castle. As they trundled up the drive, Dawn leaned out the window, eager for a good view of the castle as it loomed into sight above them. She had been somewhat unconscious during her first arrival, and wanted to make up for the first impression now.  
  
"Whoa," she breathed.  
  
Forgetting that she hadn't had such a stellar first impression of Hogwarts, the four boys raised their eyebrows at her reaction. The carriage halted at the foot of the stone steps and the students climbed out, eager to head straight to the Great Hall and dinner.  
  
When they reached the Great Hall, most of the students had already assembled and the usual large platters of food had just appeared on the tables. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at them, partly in enquiry to how their excursion had gone, partly in surprise that they had all returned in one piece. James responded with a cheeky thumbs up to the Headmaster as the group settled themselves at the Gryffindor table.  
  
Once Remus had filled it for her, Dawn kept her eyes on her plate, feeling the curious stares of most of the students aimed at her. Nearly all of them had still been asleep the morning before when she'd come in for breakfast, so there was a lot of mystery surrounding the new girl who'd somehow landed herself in the crowd with the four most popular boys in the school. She looked up once to see Lily smile and wave at her, which Dawn returned gratefully before reverting her attention to playing with her food. Suddenly, she wasn't so hungry anymore.  
  
After a while, James noticed she wasn't eating. "Hey, aren't you hungry Dawn? You should really eat something."  
  
"I know," Dawn shrugged. "But I guess I'm just too nervous to eat."  
  
"Nervous?" Sirius' jaw dropped open. "What's there to be nervous about? Although I guess it could be pretty nerve-racking being seen next to the hottest guy in school," he joked.  
  
"Who, Remus?" Dawn asked innocently, but the twinkle in her eyes belied her and all the boys laughed, save Sirius, who pouted at her. After their laughter had died down, Dawn leaned slightly in so she could speak confidentially. "Everyone is staring at me," Dawn whispered, chancing a look around the Great Hall. Sure enough, several people quickly averted their gazes as her eyes swept over them.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So, you're not gonna eat that?" Peter asked, eyeing off her almost- full plate.  
  
"No, you have it," Dawn passed her plate over to Peter, who dug in happily.  
  
Finally the remains of dinner disappeared from the tables and Dumbledore stood up to address the school. "It seems you've all noticed by now that we have a new student in Gryffindor," the Headmaster noted dryly, but there was the usual twinkle in his eye. "Miss Summers is an transfer student from muggle America, I trust you will all make her feel welcome. Goodnight."  
  
"Oh, good, he didn't draw too much attention to me," Dawn muttered sarcastically as they all stood to head back to Gryffindor Tower. All the students who had been furtively staring at her throughout dinner were now openly staring at her. The four boys immediately formed a protective ring around her, but Dawn couldn't help but think this caused even more of a scene.  
  
"is it just me, or was that an incredibly long walk?" she wondered aloud as they finally reached the corridor with their portrait entrance. It felt like hours had passed since they'd left the Great Hall.  
  
Remus chuckled. "Don't worry, people will get used to you soon enough and leave you alone," he assured her. "Lion's Den."  
  
They all climbed into the Common Room, where Dawn had hoped she would be free from curious stares. She had been wrong. Before she had a chance to steel herself against the onslaught, people were crowding around her, and everybody seemed to be speaking at once. Completely overwhelmed, Dawn stuck close by her friends and prayed for an escape route to present itself soon. It presented itself in the form of a fiery redheaded prefect fighting through the crowd to her.  
  
"Hi Dawn. Can I talk to you for a minute? About your studies," she clarified.  
  
"Sure, Lily," Dawn quickly agreed, stepping out from behind her four protectors.  
  
"All right, Evans?" James asked pleasantly.  
  
Lily just glared at him a moment before grasping Dawn's wrist and leading her to a quiet corner of the Common Room. "You looked like you needed rescuing," Lily smiled as they settled into armchairs. "I'm sorry- those boys can be a bit much at times."  
  
"No, they're really sweet," Dawn protested, shocked by the incredulous look that had settled over Lily's face.  
  
"You'll learn," was all Lily would say before changing the subject. "So, about your tutoring. We really will need to get a jump on it, so I was thinking we could meet tomorrow afternoon?"  
  
"Sounds great," Dawn agreed. She was starting to feel excited at the prospect of studying magic. She'd never been allowed to even mention the prospect of her learning magic back in Sunnydale. Not without Buffy having a total panic attack.  
  
"Ok, so four o'clock in the Library. Bring all your books, and from your classes tomorrow we should get an idea of where we really need to begin. Now if you'll excuse me, duty calls," Lily announced, glaring across the Common Room to where James and Sirius were feeding dungbombs to random animals they'd procured from Merlin knew where.  
  
"Ok. Thanks, Lily," Dawn responded. She watched from a safe distance as Lily stormed into the fray. A mangy-looking cat Sirius had been force-feeding while James held it steady all of a sudden coughed up a foul-smelling cloud, like a haze of smoke almost. The Common Room cheered, and Dawn couldn't help but smiled as the two grinning boys took a bow.  
  
"Potter! Black!" Lily shrieked, effectively silencing the rest of the room. "What are you doing!?"  
  
"Well, it's like this Evans," James began, offering his most charming grin. "Me and Padfoot here are just conducting a little experiment."  
  
"Oh?" Lily arched an eyebrow sceptically.  
  
"Yeah. I hypothesized that when cats eat dungbombs, they belch dung. Obviously, since all that came out was dung fumes, I was mistaken."  
  
"So really, it was a good thing we tested that theory," Sirius broke in smoothly. "I mean, you wouldn't want us to have been misinformed about the effects of dungbombs and cats, would you Evans?"  
  
Several people, Dawn included, laughed at the antics of the unofficial ringleaders of the Marauders. Lily, however, was livid.  
  
"Both of you clean up this mess now, before I report you to McGonagall," she hissed.  
  
"That all depends," James said quickly.  
  
"On what?" Lily snapped back.  
  
"On whether or not you'll go out with me."  
  
"I think I'll hold out for the Giant Squid. Now get this mess cleaned up," Lily returned coldly. She spun on her heel and stomped up the stairs to the girls dorms without a backward glance. The crowd dispersed in her wake.  
  
Scowling, James waved his wand and the mess disappeared. Sirius looked down at the assortment of animals before him, unsure what to do with them. Finally, he scooped them all up and marched over to the portrait hole. He dumped them all unceremoniously in the corridor and came back into the Common Room, dusting his hands off. Satisfied with their night's work, he nodded to James, who, upset by Lily's rejection, sighed dramatically.  
  
"What is it with her?" he asked nobody in particular, and headed towards the boy's dorms. "Night, Dawnie," he patted her on the head as he passed her on her way to rejoin the group.  
  
"Night James," she called to his retreating form before shooting the others a puzzled frown. "What was that all about?"  
  
Sirius snickered. "He's been trying to get Evans to go out with him since last Christmas, but the Tigerlily won't have a bar of ol' Prongsie."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"No idea," Peter squeaked. "Maybe she's just crazy. Or she really does like the Giant Squid."  
  
"Or maybe she just finds James a little too big-headed for her liking," Remus countered wisely.  
  
"James? No way," Dawn broke in. The sweet, crazy boy who not only made her feel safe, but made her laugh and feel comfortable, beg-headed? It Had to be a joke.  
  
Remus chuckled. "I don't think you understand, Dawn. You've only known us for a couple of days and James and Sirius have been on their best behaviour the entire time-"  
  
"Hang on- their best behaviour the entire time? The publicly humiliated me in a lingerie store yesterday!"  
  
"What does that tell you?" Remus quipped dryly.  
  
"Oh. Well, think I'll head up to bed. Goodnight ."  
  
"G'night, Dawn."  
  
Dawn jogged up the stairs and into the dorm room she shared with Lily and a few other girls she'd been briefly introduced to downstairs. Lily was just coming out of the bathroom, towelling off her damp hair.  
  
"Shower's free. But I suggest you hurry, it gets pretty violent in here at times," she commented, plopping down on her bed, which was next to Dawn's.  
  
"Yeah. Guess I can put all this away after," Dawn mused, looking at all the packages that had somehow been transported from the Hogwarts Express to the floor beside her living space. She dug around in them until she found her nightwear and went into the bathroom for a quick shower.  
  
When she came out, Lily was still the only other girl in the dorms, laying on her bed and reading one of her textbooks. Dawn sighed and dived into her unpacking. It was getting late, but she knew that if she didn't get it all done now, she'd never get the chance once the onslaught of her classes began. When she reached the first of the bags containing the underwear James and Sirius had picked out for her, a shy grin crept over her face. In retrospect, the whole humiliating, traumatizing ordeal was actually pretty funny. Curious, Lily put her textbook aside and wandered over to Dawn's bed.  
  
"Erm, Dawn? Exactly how much underwear did you buy?" she asked, eyeing the four large bags.  
  
"Long story," Dawn muttered, shoving bundles of underwear into her top drawer.  
  
"But it must've cost a fortune. How did you pay for it all?" Lily persisted.  
  
"Actually, James bought it all for me, as well as my clothes. He was really generous the whole time we were away," Dawn explained fondly. To her consternation, Lily started to laugh.  
  
"Potter, generous?" she said scornfully. "You've got to be kidding me. Potter would never do something like that for anyone unless he could see what was in it for himself!"  
  
Dawn frowned. Sure, James may be a little (ok, a lot) on the self- assured end of the scale, and he was pretty wild, but Lily was being completely unreasonable. She shook her head, but held her tongue, wanting to keep the peace with the only girl in their house who had really wanted to talk to her. Instead of answering, Dawn quickly finished putting her new belongings away and smiled weakly at Lily.  
  
"I'm pretty tired, think I'll get some sleep. Night, Lily." Dawn climbed into bed and drew her hangings about her as Lily wished her goodnight.  
  
Dawn shifted uncomfortably in her seat, waiting for her very first magic lesson to begin. She was seated next to Peter, upon the suggestion James had whispered in her ear to calm her nerves. He'd reasoned the no matter how badly she messed up first time around, it wouldn't look quite so bad if she was sitting next to the least talented student in the class for comparison.  
  
"Just don't let him partner you in Potions." Remus snickered. "You'll end up covered in it. Peter's potions explode more often than not."  
  
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly and the class, fifth year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, immediately settled down.  
  
"Now today we will be transfiguring toads into rats," she announced, handing two Hufflepuffs in the front row a box of toads to start passing out. Dawn wrinkled her nose in slight distaste at the two toads that started hopping about the table she and Peter shared.  
  
'Least I don't have frog fear,' she thought to herself. Outwardly, a small smile creased her features with a memory. "Willow has frog fear," she whispered.  
  
Peter looked at Dawn oddly for a moment, the offered a shy, but comforting smile. Dawn's own smile broadened in response and she turned her attention back to McGonagall, who was reciting the spell for the class.  
  
The class first practised the incantation without their wands, and then split off into their individual tables to start working their spells. Both Dawn and Peter waved their wands and said the incantation. Nothing happened. They looked at each other, shrugged, and tried again. Still, nothing happened. The toads hopped contentedly around the table, completely unfazed by the two wands trained on them from above.  
  
Dawn chanced a look around the class to see exactly how badly she was faring in comparison to the rest. She quickly came to the conclusion that she was terrible at Transfiguration. Every other student had at least made some progress. James, Sirius and Lily had even completed their spells, and Dawn could tell Remus would have it within the next five minutes.  
  
Feeling a little dejected, she refocused her attention on her own toad and swished her wand with even more determination. Finally, Professor McGonagall stopped by their table to examine their lack of results.  
  
"Pettigrew, this is not good enough," she lectured sternly, eyeing the toad with a tiny, inch-long rat's tail with great displeasure. "I expect this creature to be warm-blooded by the end of the lesson."  
  
Dawn cringed as the piercing stare was turned on her, but McGonagall simply gave her a faint smile and slightly softened her tone towards the girl. "This is difficult work, Miss Summers, so I do not expect results from you this lesson. Just try your best, and with the help of Miss Evans I expect you'll be up to standard in weeks."  
  
Dawn nodded and relaxed. She cleared her mind, took a deep, calming breath and tried the spell again. Suddenly, two small, furry ears sprouted just beyond the toad's eyes and a sparse streak of grey fur flickered down its back.  
  
With a gasp, Dawn turned wide-eyed to Peter, whose jaw had gone slack as he stared at Dawn's very first attempt at Transfiguration. Slowly, Dawn's head tilted up until she found herself locking gazes with Professor McGonagall.  
  
Obvious pride emanated from the teacher as she nodded approvingly at her newest student. "You have a talent for Transfiguration, Miss Summers," she remarked as the bell rang to signal the end of the lesson.  
  
Their toads (or rats in a fair few cases) were collected, and Dawn met with her friends, practically bouncing up and down on the spot in her excitement.  
  
"That was brilliant for a first attempt, Dawnie," Sirius grinned.  
  
"Thanks. What do we have now?" she asked eagerly.  
  
"Well I'm off to Arithmancy," Remus announced, heading out the door. "See you at lunch."  
  
"Ancient Runes," Peter squeaked, heading out after Remus.  
  
"And we're heading to Divination," James said, as they began the long walk up to the seventh floor. "You'll love Divination, Dawn. It's the most useless class ever, but it's a real laugh!"  
  
Dawn just furrowed her brow and followed silently as the boys led the way up into the Divination Tower. They settled around a rickety table containing a crystal ball and awaited the Professor to begin the class.  
  
"Good day to you all," a mystical voice announced and a woman dressed all in black emerged from the shadows. "It is nice to have you all returning, and welcome to our new student, I had foreseen your coming." The woman, who had long, crimson hair and wide, dark eyes turned her stare on Dawn, who almost shuddered beneath it.  
  
"Yeah, she foresaw it on the attendance list," Sirius muttered, and James snorted.  
  
As if she hadn't heard them, the Professor gave Dawn a vague smile. "I am Professor Damus, dear, have you any prior experience in the noble art of Divination?"  
  
Did a couple of tarot readings when Willow and Tara were on Dawn-duty count? "Um, no. I don't think so," Dawn mumbled. Dropping her gaze. This woman made her feel very uncomfortable, and the roaring fire and heavy scent of incense were stifling. Less than three minutes in the Divination Tower and Dawn already felt as if she was struggling to catch her breath.  
  
"No matter,' Damus waved away Dawn's lack of experience. "We shall soon see if you are gifted."  
  
Dawn swallowed nervously, feeling every pair of eyes in the room fixed squarely on her. But to her immense relief, the Professor meandered back through the sea of mismatched tables to the fireplace. "As you can see, we will be beginning our studies this year with some more work on the crystal ball. I'm afraid very few of you satisfied the requirements last year, as the fates have informed me."  
  
Dawn had to strain to hear the instructions over the loud snickering of her two companions. Finally, when James and Sirius were as settled as she could hope for them to be, she took a deep breath and stared into the murky depths of the crystal ball, willing her mind to remain blank. Beside her, she could sense her friends gazing into the ball too, though it was obvious both had immediately lost themselves in daydreams.  
  
"Seen anything yet?" Sirius asked lazily a few minutes later. Dawn did not bother to respond. She was staring intently into the crystal ball, trying to force the soft shapes stirring within to take on some distinct form. However, James' reply shattered her concentration totally.  
  
"Yeah, Amelia Bones has pink knickers on," James whispered.  
  
Sirius cracked up laughing, shaking their little rickety table as he did so, and Dawn's tentative mental connection with the crystal ball was broken. She only lost sight of it for a moment, but it had been enough. By the time the ball had stopped rattling and she could focus on it again, she could make out nothing but white mist.  
  
She sighed, frustrated.  
  
"What's the matter, Dawnie?" James asked. "Did we forget to buy you pink knickers when we were shopping?"  
  
"No, there was a pink pair," Sirius recalled.  
  
Dawn blushed, trying to ignore James' second question and Sirius' response while she answered the first. "I almost saw something. At least, I think I did," she muttered. "Couldn't quite make anything out for sure."  
  
Both James and Sirius blinked.  
  
"You're not serious!"  
  
"No, I am."  
  
"Shut up, Padfoot. Dawn, did you really See something? Merlin, you could be an actual Seer," James gave out a low whistle.  
  
"I don't know," Dawn stammered. "Maybe just a little? I can't be sure. Although. . ." Dawn's mind wandered back to Sunnydale, and her favourite Scooby. "Tara did a couple of tarot readings for me this last year, she said I might have a little potential for this stuff."  
  
"Tarot did Tara readings?" Sirius quipped, making fun of Dawn's accent. James slapped the back of his head, and Dawn couldn't help but chuckle at the dirty look Sirius shot in his best friend's direction.  
  
At that moment, the Professor materialised before their table, and from the look on her face it was clear she was annoyed by the disturbance the little group was causing. "Have you Seen yet, dear?" she asked Dawn in an over-sweet tone, her eyebrows raised expectantly.  
  
"She has!" Sirius piped up before Dawn could stop him. "Tell her, Dawn."  
  
"Um. . . I don't know. . . not really. Just a couple if shadows, couldn't even tell what they were. Sorry," Dawn mumbled, dropping her gaze. She was quickly discovering that magical learning was not the walk in the park she'd presumed it to be. But the Divination Professor was suddenly looking at Dawn like a long-lost daughter. To the horror of the boys, she pulled up a chair beside Dawn, bumping Sirius to the side in the process.  
  
"A pleasing first effort, Miss Summers. Now I shall take a moment to study the shadowy portents within your orb. Perhaps then we shall truly See," she announced, staring intently into the crystal ball.  
  
Several minutes passed silently. Sirius sighed, loudly, and turned to chat to a couple of girls sitting at the next table. A great gasp drew every pair of eyes back on the Professor, who was staring, horrified, at both Dawn and James. Dawn's eyes widened in fear and apprehension, James merely looked bored. Like he'd heard what was coming a hundred times before.  
  
"Death's stain is upon you," she whispered to Dawn, who whimpered. "It taints you, haunts you. It will be your only companion for the remainder of your life."  
  
Sirius glared at Damus. Professor or not, he could've sworn he would've hit her by now if she wasn't a woman. Dawn was already shaking like a leaf, big blue eyes blinking back tears. He sent a reassuring smile Dawn's way but she was still pale as Nearly Headless Nick.  
  
Having caused enough damage to Dawn for one day, the Professor turned on James. "I have Seen it again, Mr Potter. A short life for you, I am afraid. You will die young."  
  
"So long as I get to live fast and leave a good looking corpse, too," James quipped, supremely unconcerned as the bell rang for lunch.  
  
"Come on, Dawnie," Sirius ordered, still glaring meanly at Professor Damus while he grabbed Dawn's hand and pulled her to the Tower exit. "Let's go get some lunch."  
  
White and shaking, Dawn allowed herself to be led along blindly, lost in thoughts. The stain of death. So she had died, she shouldn't even be here. Was there something wrong with her? Dawn bit her lip against the dry sob that threatened to escape her lips. She was so tired of being a freak, so tired of being unreal and wrong, and now it seemed she was even more wrong than she thought.  
  
"That stupid bat!"  
  
Sirius' exclamation snapped Dawn back into the moment as they navigated their way through the castle.  
  
"I know. If I have to hear about my untimely death one more time. . ." James chimed in. Dawn just stared up at the two boys flanking her. James swung a brotherly arm around her. "There is nothing wrong with you Dawnie," he told her firmly. "She was just trying to scare you. I sometimes question Dumbledore's sanity in even hiring her in the first place. What did Tara say when she did your readings, anyway?"  
  
Finally, Dawn seemed to calm down. "That I'd meet someone tall, dark and handsome in the near future," she giggled.  
  
Sirius clutched a hand over his chest dramatically. "It's like she was staring at a photograph of me when she said it!"  
  
"More likely a photograph of me," James countered, looking to the girl he had his arm slung around for support. "Right, Dawnie?"  
  
A cheeky little smile stole over Dawn's face, blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "I wonder what Lily would say to that." James scowled and promptly took his arm away from Dawn. Sirius howled with laughter.  
  
"The kitten has some claws hidden in all that softness!" he crowed.  
  
"I'm not a kitten," Dawn grumbled.  
  
"Oh I think you are. Kitten," James smirked, thereby christening her with the nickname.  
  
"Kitten," Sirius mused, looking Dawn over. "I like that. Kitten it is!" he announced as they stepped into the Great Hall for lunch. Dawn sighed, plopping into a seat beside Remus. So it seemed she now had an animal nickname. Then she thought to herself; Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. The boys all had animalistic nicknames for each other, she supposed she'd learn to live with it. She could get used to belonging.  
  
"How did you like Divination, Dawn?" Remus asked.  
  
"She's not Dawn, she's Kitten," Sirius blurted, rather loudly.  
  
Remus arched an eyebrow in response, but it was Peter who spoke up. "Kitten?"  
  
James nodded happily. "Yeah. I'd watch her though. The soft little kitten over here has claws. Sharp ones," he warned with a wink at Dawn.  
  
Remus chuckled. However much she appeared to be struggling to get used to it, the name suited the girl. Seemed even with the ordeal she'd gone through, the separation from all she knew and loved in the world, she was landing on her feet. Yes, she was soft and not catty in the least, but Kitten described her perfectly. It had unlimited potential.  
  
"Fine then. How did you enjoy Divination, Kitten?" he grinned.  
  
"The stain of death will follow me around forever," Dawn informed him frankly. Her friends had already made her feel much better about the whole stupid thing, and she was choosing to believe Tara's interpretation of her future. She felt that the fact that both Sirius and James were tall, dark and handsome, and she had met them in the near future from when Tara had laughingly told her that, justified her belief.  
  
"Well, at least it'll remind you of James, what with his tragic impending death and all," the werewolf pointed out dryly.  
  
"Hi, Lily. Sorry I'm late, I think I wandered into the wrong bathroom," Dawn grimaced.  
  
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Moaning Myrtle?"  
  
"Uh-huh. Took me twenty minutes to get away," Dawn confided, her grimace still firmly in place as she began to unpack her textbooks. Lily started picking through them.  
  
"I think we'll start with some early Transfiguration. It shouldn't be much of a problem for you, considering the results you had in class this morning," Lily mused, placing a matchstick in front of Dawn.  
  
Dawn looked apprehensively at the match, then around at the multitude of books and papers filling the Library. "Uh, Lily? You sure this is the best place for us to be playing with matches?"  
  
Lily sighed, fighting to stifle the laugh threatening to bubble out of her. She wouldn't get far in tutoring Dawn if they got thrown out of the Library for being too noisy now. When you shared a Common Room with the infamous Marauders, said Common Room was never going to be a productive learning environment.  
  
"Won't be an issue once you turn that matchstick into a needle," she explained. "It's the very first Transfiguration spell students are taught when they arrive at Hogwarts. Just relax and concentrate, like you did this morning."  
  
Dawn cleared her mind and focused her energy on the matchstick. She whispered the spell Lily told her, mimicking the redhead's wand movements. Ten minutes later, she had a pin.  
  
"Well done," Lily praised. "You do have a talent for this stuff, took me all lesson first time I tried it. Now see if you can put an eye in it, make it a needle."  
  
It wasn't long before Dawn had a handful of near perfect needles sticking out the top of the matchbox like a porcupine. Lily moved on to showing Dawn a few more complex spells, most of which she was able to master over the course of the afternoon.  
  
Lily and Dawn started cleaning up their mess before anyone noticed the water puddling around their table. The pencil case Dawn had transfigured into a water jug had proven a little thin around the base.  
  
"So what else did you have today? Anything we need to start studying up on?" Lily asked.  
  
"Just Divination and History of Magic," Dawn muttered, clearly not a fan of either subject. Lily wrinkled her nose, sharing Dawn's sentiment.  
  
"Is it normal for people to sleep through History of Magic? I could hardly hear Professor Binns over James and Sirius snoring," the American confided.  
  
"Happens all the time, unfortunately. Most people fall asleep in at least one of those lessons a term. Or one a week. Or, in some cases, every lesson," Lily rolled her eyes, all the while aware of the fact that she too occasionally fell asleep at her desk. "Let me see your timetable," the redhead suddenly blurted, her hand held out expectantly.  
  
Dawn rummaged through her bag until she came up with the parchment that had her class timetable printed on it, and handed it over.  
  
"Ok," said Lily, scanning the information. "You have Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms and Potions tomorrow, and you're starting Care of Magical Creatures later in the week. So depending on how well you do in each class tomorrow, we'll take one subject to study every afternoon between now and Thursday, starting with whichever one needs the most attention."  
  
Dawn just nodded, having the distinct impression she had little or no say in the matter as the girls exited the Library to head to dinner in the Great Hall. Lily was reminding her just a little bit of Buffy, only academically minded. Scary.  
  
When they reached the Great Hall, Sirius and Peter waved Dawn over to them, while James tried to grin invitingly at Lily, who merely huffed in annoyance.  
  
"I'll see you later Dawn," she said, pointedly stalking to the far end of the table.  
  
With an apologetic shrug to a sulking James, Dawn joined her friends. The second she sat down, Remus pushed her plate towards her, already piled high with delicious-looking pork and baked vegetables.  
  
"Thanks, Remus."  
  
"No problem. SO how'd you go?" the werewolf replied, filling up five goblets of pumpkin juice.  
  
Grinning, Dawn produced her matchbox porcupine. "Pretty good," she said proudly, before her expression turned just a little pained. "Although my water jug out of a pencil case could've been a little stronger, y'know, and less leaking water all over the Library."  
  
"Hmm, yeah. I hear that helps," James said with mock seriousness.  
  
"Indeed," a voice behind them chuckled.  
  
"What's up, Professor?" Sirius smirked at the Headmaster.  
  
Eyes twinkling much as ever, Dumbledore raised his hands and looked up at the enchanted ceiling. "Apparently, the stars, Mr Black, if the ceiling is to be believed. Miss Summers, if you would please come to my office when you've finished your dinner, we have matters which must be discussed in private. I trust you remember the password?" Without waiting for a reply, Dumbledore turned and left the Hall, leaving an excited and incredibly nervous Dawn in his wake. This had to be something to do with Sunnydale, after all.  
  
Peter frowned at her. "What did you do?"  
  
"Huh?" Dawn blurted, startled out of thought by Peter's question.  
  
"What did you do?" he repeated. "To get in enough trouble that you have to go see Dumbledore on your first day."  
  
Immediate panic set in with Dawn. "You don't think he's mad about the water in the Library do you?" she asked the boys. "Or the trip to muggle London? Or the club? Or the vamp-" Remus' hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her and effectively cutting off the public listing of their most recent crimes and misdemeanours.  
  
"Don't be silly, Dumbledore just wants to talk. He didn't look mad at all," he soothed, taking his hand away from her mouth. "Maybe they figured something out about your home."  
  
"Yeah," Dawn breathed, calming down. "Yeah, that's what I thought before." She looked down at her barely touched plate and went to push it away, far more interested in answers than food.  
  
"Don't even think about it!" Sirius ordered. "You're not leaving this table until you've finished your dinner, you need to keep your strength up."  
  
"You forgot to add ' I mean it, young lady'. Then you would've sounded exactly like my Mom used to, word for word," Dawn told Sirius, the light in her eyes dulling at the memory of her mother.  
  
"Hey," James said gently, noticing the look on Dawn's face. "Maybe Dumbledore's found a way to get you back to her. If there is one, he'll find it eventually, I can tell you that."  
  
"Thought I'd be back with her now," Dawn confided quietly, her voice barely registering in the usual chaotic din that was Hogwarts at mealtimes. "My Mom died a few months ago, a brain tumour. When I jumped through the portal, I thought- I thought," she sighed. "I don't know, I thought it'd be so much simpler, that I'd see her again. When I jumped, it was supposed to kill me."  
  
Their little group was, for the first time ever for four of them, the quietest in the entire Hall. This time, when Dawn moved to push her full plate away, Sirius was too stunned by what she'd just admitted to stop her.  
  
"I'm really not hungry," she said, grabbing her bag and practically running out the doors. In the hallway, she leaned against the wall a moment, eyes closed, trying to regain her composure before facing Dumbledore. When she heard a sneering voice very close to her, her eyes snapped open in alarm.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
Dawn stared up at the boy as he loomed over her, stiflingly close. He had icy grey eyes, a paler complexion than even Spike, and his long, straight hair was the same platinum shade as the vampire's. He looked to be a seventh year, by his size. Dawn cringed against the stone wall, desperately wanting an escape from that cold, superior glare.  
  
"Pretty, for a piece of Mudblood filth," the boy sneered, running a finger down the skin exposed by the open collar of Dawn's shirt.  
  
Finally, Dawn's body seemed to catch up to her mind's reaction to what was going on and her mouth opened, ready to let out an ear-piercing shriek. A swift slap, hard enough to startle her, but not hard enough to mark her cheek, forced her mouth closed again.  
  
"Uh-uh," the boy admonished. "You haven't yet learned the rules, Mudblood." With that, he drew away and disappeared.  
  
After a moment of shock and revulsion that threatened to have Dawn vomiting up all the dinner she didn't eat, she scurried off before that boy, whoever he was, decided to come looking for her again.  
  
end chapter.  
  
A/N: Hmm, wonder who that could've been ;-) LOL. Like readers, love reviewers. And flamers? Well, winter's coming on fast down here anyway. Anoron 


	5. Sick Cycle Carousel

Right up top, just because you deserve to come first for all your wonderful reviews, I'd like to thank my faithful reviewers:

**Sonofgloin** (honey, when is it ever good news?)

**The Ceej **

**Kat **(who else would it be!)

**Eleclyalll **

**Kiara-Zzyopen** (I know, I'm bad!)

**Botticelli's Venus** _wink_, wait and see!)

**Mademoiselle Morte **(a gold star for you, I really don't like him either.)

**RoseWill **

**alunderman **

**EllandrahSylver **

**Jillian **(and doesn't James need all the help he can get!)  
  
**Disclaimer:** Do I have to? Sigh. I own neither Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or anything within the two worlds. I also make no money, and certainly not from writing this. Happy?  
  
**A/N:** I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it. There are some answers given, some questions raised, some tension, a prank or two and some chocolate cake for good measure. Also delves just a little more deeply into the world of Hogwarts, and a few things strike our Lil' Dawnie as surprisingly close to home. I'm very proud of myself, it's another nice, long chapter (definitely by my standards, anyway) and as usual I'd love all questions, comments and suggestions to come rolling in through that cute little review button right down there! Cheers, Anoron  
  
CHAPTER FOUR  
  
"Is there anything you wish to tell me, Dawn?" Dumbledore asked, gesturing the girl into a seat. He couldn't help but note that she looked more than just a little disturbed.  
  
"N-no," Dawn shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the image of the intimidating blond she'd just encountered outside the Great Hall. Dumbledore's eyes bored into hers, and Dawn wondered if he was reading her very soul.  
  
"Very well," the Headmaster said, briskly changing the subject. "I have. . . some difficult news for you, dear. But I think it best you not be left to live in false hope any longer," he said gently.  
  
Tears sprang to Dawn's eyes; she knew at once what was coming. Didn't make the news any easier to bear though.  
  
"I am sorry. There is no way that myself, or any of the other Professors can see for you to return to your home dimension. You are with us here for good."  
  
Dawn nodded, wiping hastily at her eyes. So there it was: no Buffy, no Scoobies, no Spike, never again. She'd never again feel that comforting touch of the one being bound to her eternally. Bound by blood ties stronger than those who shared a regular sibling bond. The one to whom she had truly belonged.  
  
"But-" she began, a new thought occurring to her. She had no way back. Was there a way forwards for her, in that case?  
  
"Yes, Miss Summers?" Dumbledore encouraged.  
  
"I didn't die. I should've died, but instead I just came here. Why is that? And will I ever die, or will I just keep on going forever?" she wondered. It was all too confusing, too complicated.  
  
"As for that, only time can tell. When Madam Pomfrey examined you, she found you to be a perfectly natural fifteen year-old mortal girl. It is my belief, then, that you shall live out a mortal life accordingly. Barring any more expeditions through opened portals, of course," he smiled gently.  
  
Dawn nodded again, but could not muster a smile. "Thank you, Professor."  
  
"You're welcome, Dawn. Now, I am sure you would like to return to your Common Room? Good night," Dumbledore urged the girl softly, sending her back to her friends. He had a feeling they would be of much greater comfort to her than he at this time.  
  
"Good night, Professor," Dawn returned wearily, making her way back to the Common Room. Once there, her friends pounced on her.  
  
"What did he say?" Sirius demanded, pushing her onto a couch by the fire.  
  
Dawn's face scrunched up against the howl of pain threatening to escape her and she merely shook her head, unable to communicate more effectively for the moment. The boys all shifted uncomfortably around her, and Dawn buried her face in her hands, frustrated tears leaking out between her fingers.  
  
"C-can't go home," she choked out. "He said there's n-no way back- I'll never see my family again!"  
  
"Oh Dawnie," Remus sighed sympathetically, sharing a sombre look with James. Peter stared solemnly at his feet, not wanting to imagine how lonely he'd be without his family, and Sirius gave Dawn an awkward hug. It was hard to imagine the pain of losing a family when your own family was not one you'd exactly regret leaving behind.  
  
His mouth was next to her ear, and he started to murmur words the others couldn't hear, soothing her. "Shh, Kitten. It's ok. We'll be here for you, we'll be your family. Y'know, my family isn't exactly the greatest, but I don't mind because I have these guys to make up for it. And now you do too. Got it?"  
  
Eyes dried, Dawn looked up at him and nodded. She pulled away from Sirius and smiled softly at the others. "I'm ok," she assured them.  
  
They began chattering away about nothing in particular, James trying in vain to keep from glancing across the Common Room every five seconds, to where Lily was chatting with a group of fifth and sixth year girls. Suddenly, something occurred to Dawn. Her mind had wandered back to the scene just after she'd left the Great Hall, where that boy had slapped her cheek and called her a – what?  
  
"Um, can I ask you something?" Dawn asked, looking around to see all the boys nod. "What's a Mudblood?" she asked quietly, not wanting the rest of the Common Room to overhear, in case it was something she should already know.  
  
"What?" James hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Dawn looked around her and noticed the other three boys were all wearing similar expressions of anger or disgust.  
  
"I'm sorry," Dawn said quickly. "I didn't mean to upset anybody-"  
  
"It's not that," Peter squeaked out, cutting her apology off.  
  
"No, where did you hear that, Dawnie? Did someone call you that?" Remus asked, an unusually hard glint in the werewolf's amber eyes.  
  
Slowly, Dawn nodded. "What does it mean?"  
  
"It means 'dirty blood'," Sirius told her, his jaw ticking angrily. "It's a disgusting word, used mostly by Slytherins and other prejudiced pure-blood animals, to describe muggle-borns."  
  
Again, Dawn gave a nod, this one to show her understanding. "So I would be a Mudbl-"  
  
"No you're _not_!" James barked harshly, halting Dawn's sentence in its tracks. "Never use that word Kitten, you hear me? And if I ever hear someone call you that, I'll hex them clear into next week!" the young Gryffindor swore, his cheeks tinged red with anger. If there was one thing he hated, it was the prejudiced gits that gave pure-bloods like himself and his friends a bad name.  
  
"Ok," Dawn whispered, suddenly very confused by the 'racial' stigma she'd just inherited.  
  
"Who called you that, anyway?" Sirius asked, with a significant look at James. If Dawn could give a decent description, and they could figure out the culprit, then they could have a whole lot of fun making this jerk pay.  
  
Dawn shrugged. "I dunno. A boy, outside the Great Hall. He was bigger, standing over me, and. . ." her hand went to her cheek as she trailed off, remembering the slap he'd given her, just enough to let her know how subservient he considered her.  
  
"And?" James prompted, a little impatiently. He was ready to make with the payback, already.  
  
"Um, he was blond, and pale. He had a green and silver tie on. His eyes were grey," she said, telling them everything she could remember about the boy's features.  
  
"Lucius Malfoy, the git," Sirius growled. The four boys exchanged a look that clearly said one thing: prank war.

-----

Bloodshed, pain and horror surrounded Dawn, thick red liquid engulfing her senses. Buffy was there, and her Mom, but they were screaming, being torn apart by unseen forces. Dawn tried desperately to reach them, to save them, but she slipped in the blood and it spilled around her, gushing out of the bodies of her mother and sister until she was drowning in it.  
  
"No," she gasped, her eyes snapping open. In the pitch black, it took her a moment to recognise her surroundings: her Hogwarts bed, the sweat-drenched covers bunched around her. She lay still a moment, hoping she'd drift back into blissful sleep and her nightmare would fade into oblivion. But it was hopeless. She didn't want to wake the other girls up, but she was alone and afraid and there was no-one here to make it better. Sleep was most definitely not an option.  
  
Shoving the covers back, she stood and tip-toed out of the dorm and down to the Common Room. She curled up in the chair she'd sat in earlier that evening, staring into the fire and willing the lonely night to pass quickly. Her eyes glazed over, and Dawn was so spaced out that she failed to notice the portrait swing open, then shut, and the lone figure of a fifteen year-old boy appearing from under an Invisibility Cloak.  
  
He juggled the Cloak in one hand and a large plate piled high with chocolate cake in the other. He was about to sneak up the stairs and back into his own dorm when he caught sight of the wispy figure curled up by the fire, completely oblivious to his presence.  
  
And Sirius took full advantage of that fact, his eyes roving over Dawn's body at their leisure. Those long, shapely legs visible beneath the long t-shirt that served as her nightie, her slightly curvy figure, the creamy complexion of her skin, that mass of shimmering hair that framed soft lips and otherworldly blue eyes. Yes, Dawn was his friend, she was vulnerable and she needed all the support the Marauders could offer right now. She was sweet, and refreshingly pure and naïve and Sirius knew he would do anything to protect her. But it sure as hell didn't hurt that she was so damn easy on the eyes!  
  
Sirius smirked at his last thought, then walked over to stand in front of his newest friend. Her staring contest with the fire broken by a pair of black satin boxers and slightly hairy legs, Dawn blinked owlishly and refocused her gaze. When she realized exactly what she was refocusing on, she blushed and her gaze flew upwards to Sirius' grinning face.  
  
"Hey Kitten," he said brightly, dumping James' Cloak on the chair beside her. "Cake?"  
  
Dawn's mouth opened, but any reply was about to make was stifled by the large hunk of chocolate cake Sirius shoved into her mouth. Dawn's eyes bugged in alarm, before they fixed on Sirius in a glare. There was icing smeared all over her face, and with the amount of cake he'd just force-fed her, Dawn was surprised she wasn't choking on it. It took her several moments to swallow a significant amount, and Sirius grinned playfully at her.  
  
"You look good in chocolate. Here, let me help you with that," he leaned in, as if to begin sucking the icing off her nose, but Dawn squealed and shoved him back.  
  
"Only trying to help," he chuckled, and to his astonishment, Dawn actually nodded and beckoned him closer.  
  
"Ok then. Come here."  
  
He nearly dropped the plate in shock, but managed to step closer, preparing to lower his face to Dawn's. But he didn't get the chance. The second he was in range, Dawn seized hold of his white shirt and wiped her face clean on it. Sirius gaped at the chocolate stains now covering his pyjamas, then at Dawn's now-clean face.  
  
"Thanks, very helpful Sirius," she giggled, blushing lightly. The lack of sleep coupled with all her recent stresses must be affecting her sanity.  
  
"That," Sirius announced, scooping a generous amount of icing onto his finger, "Was childish." As he concluded his statement, he drew his finger down the centre of Dawn's face, leaving a trail of icing between her eyes, along her nose, and over her lips to her chin.  
  
Dawn arched an eyebrow. "You wanna talk childish? Fine!" Before he could stop her, Dawn had lifted the plate from Sirius' hand and planted it squarely in his face. When she pulled it away, Sirius was staring incredulously at her through the clumps of chocolate covering his face. She giggled.  
  
"You asked for it, Summers," Sirius growled playfully, and dived at her.  
  
"No!" Dawn squealed as she was tackled to the floor, Sirius' face pressed against her neck, smearing the cake he was wearing onto her. He reached for the crumbled remains of the cake, but Dawn had the same idea, and in moments a full-scale cake war had broken out.  
  
Squealing and laughing, Dawn rolled out of Sirius' reach, all her crumbly ammunition spent. Pelting the last of his at her half-heartedly, Sirius rolled onto his back, trying to wipe as much of the cake from himself as possible. The House-Elves were going to have one helluva mess to clean up tomorrow. When he looked over at Dawn, she was just smoothing her bunched up nightie over her legs.  
  
"Hey, are those the stripy knickers?" he called, reaching over to flick her skirt up a little.  
  
Dawn shot into a sitting position, her jaw dropped open as far as it could've possibly been, her hands hastily yanking her hem down over the stripy knickers.  
  
"Oh hey, it's alright," Sirius joked, sitting up too. "I'm not even wearing anything under these boxers, see?" he moved to open the button of his boxers.  
  
"Sirius!" Dawn shrieked, slapping his shoulder hard as her face heated up. The things that boy came out with- literally, if he could get away with it.  
  
"Ok, sorry," he laughed, and the pair leaned back against the chair, their toes stretched out in front of the crackling fire. "What were you doing down here anyway. Kitten? Girls in your dorm snore too loud or something? I know how that goes, Wormtail is like a buzz-saw after a good meal."  
  
Dawn smiled half-heartedly. "No, no buzz-saws. I just had a nightmare."  
  
"What was it about?" Sirius urged, slipping a comforting arm about Dawn's shoulders.  
  
"About Mom and Buffy. They were in so much pain, Sirius, I could see it but I couldn't help them at all. It was so bad, so much blood everywhere. I could smell it," she whispered, the horrors returning to her mind once more.  
  
"It was just a dream," Sirius soothed. "And it's over now. I'd, uh, offer to share my chocolate cake with you to make you feel better, but I already did that. Also, I think we're wearing most of it. . ." he trailed off, apparently searching his body for edible crumbs. A moment later, she reached over and plucked a chunk of squashed cake from behind Dawn's knee, offering it to her.  
  
"No thanks," Dawn scrunched up her nose and shook her head.  
  
"Suit yourself," Sirius shrugged, and ate it himself. "Not bad."  
  
Dawn giggled.

-----

The Marauders were acting way too innocently. In the whole five days she'd known them now, Dawn had already come to recognise that as a definite danger sign. The way they were sitting so quietly, enjoying their breakfast (or shovelling it down their throats, more accurately) was unnerving Dawn, who was on edge waiting for the chaos to begin. And all of a sudden, there it was. A loud cry erupted from the Slytherin table, where Lucius Malfoy had just arrived.  
  
"Hey! Malfoy's wet his pants!"  
  
For about two seconds after the words rang out, the entire Great Hall was perfectly silent, and all eyes fixed squarely on Lucius Malfoy's damp crotch. Then the chain reaction of laughter set in, starting naturally with the Gryffindor table, quickly spreading through the Hufflepuffs to infect the Ravenclaws. Even the Slytherin table wasn't totally immune, and the teachers were surveying the scene with worry and disgust and... amusement. McGonagall's lips were pressed into a tight, thin line, but the corners of her mouth were twitching, itching desperately to let out a smile, and Dumbledore, his shoulders shaking just a little, had hidden his face carefully behind his goblet of pumpkin juice.  
  
Dawn looked over at her friends, grinning broadly. It was sort of nice to see the individual who'd treated her so coldly being made to feel as dirty as she had when he'd laid his hands on her. "Ok, so what happened to Malfoy?"  
  
James blinked innocently. "Dunno, Kitten. Looks like someone's gone and put a self-watering charm on old Luci's pants."  
  
Peter was sniggering uncontrollably. "But wait- there's more!"  
  
Sure enough, brown stains were fast spreading over the back of Malfoy's robes. Several students gasped in horror. Dawn arched an eyebrow. Sirius shrugged.  
  
"Looks like they remembered the self-fertilization charm, too."  
  
"It's good to be thorough," Remus commented. Usually he wasn't a fan of such humiliating pranks, much preferring the harmless fun variety. But this one? Absolutely justified. Dawn was almost a fifth Marauder to them already. And the Marauders always looked after their own.  
  
Dark, angry red splotches stood out on Malfoy's face and he glared over at the Gryffindor table, specifically at the four boys who were fluttering their fingers cheekily at him. Without a word, Malfoy turned and stalked out of the Great Hall, small brown pellets dropping out of his pants in his wake.  
  
Dumbledore was staring knowingly at his four most troublesome, yet amusing students, who suddenly became very busy collecting their belongings for their first class.  
  
"C'mon, we've got to get to Defence," Remus urged, pulling Dawn hastily along with them.  
  
Once they had cleared the doors to the Great Hall, effectively escaping any immediate rebuke from Dumbledore, their pace slowed. It was still much to early for rushing up to the Defence Against the Dark Arts room at full speed.  
  
"S'pose Lucius has gone to try and change his pants," Sirius mused, snickering.  
  
"Hmm. Think he'll have any trouble getting into the Slytherin Common Room?" James wondered aloud.  
  
"Well, considering we put a barrier spell on the opening," Peter blurted, causing the other three boys to roll their eyes.  
  
"Subtlety, Peter. Look into it," Remus advised.  
  
The group wandered into the Defence room at their leisure and took their seats, waiting for the other students to trudge in and the lesson to begin.  
  
"Settle down," the Professor called at length, bringing the class to attention. "Now, today's lesson will be theory- don't groan at me- we will be discussing vampires."  
  
Dawn almost rolled her eyes, how very fitting that her first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson be about the one dark creature she couldn't really learn much more about.  
  
Lily raised her hand. "But Professor, didn't we already cover vampires in third year?"  
  
"Very good, Miss Evans. But today we will be going into greater detail than the general information provided at third-year level. We shall be learning about the single most evil vampires known to wizard and muggle worlds alike: the Order of Aurelius."  
  
Dawn jolted, accidentally snapping her quill. No... It couldn't be...  
  
"Now, take these notes down..."  
  
For a moment, Dawn wondered how she was supposed to do that when she'd just gone and snapped her quill, but the ever-prepared Remus handed her one of his many spares. She smiled as he did so, but Dawn could see in his eyes the puzzlement as to why she'd felt the need to murder her first one. He had no time to ask, as a moment later they were all copying notes while the Professor spoke.  
  
Intriguing, Dawn found, that the founding history of this world's Order of Aurelius had run much the same course as it had in her world. To an extent, of course. The Master, one of the oldest and most powerful of vampires on record, had founded the Order. He had sired Darla, his 'Dear One', who would remain his favourite for over four centuries. Darla had the found herself a young Irishman with a deceptively angelic face, and in him she had seen Angelus, a killer with unrivalled sadism in his heart.  
  
Dawn had to bite back a vehement agreement to that. She'd met Angelus on a number of occasions back when Buffy had unwittingly boinked him out of his cage, and some of the things she'd seen him do, and heard him say, still sent shivers down her spine. In fact, Angelus terrified her more than Glory.  
  
After suffering months of torture at his hands, which eventually drove her insane, Drusilla became the next vampire of note, sired into the Order of Aurelius by Angelus. And Drusilla sired herself a mate by the name of William the Bloody, who earned himself the most intriguing of nicknames-  
  
"Spike," Dawn breathed, her heart feeling a pang at the memory of her very own vampish big brother. Unfortunately for Dawn, there had been a moment of total silence as she spoke, so most of the class had heard her. After a minute, she looked up to see why the Professor had not continued only to find herself the centre of attention.  
  
"What did you just say, Miss Summers?" the Professor asked, clearly shocked. With the knowledge all Professors had been given by Dumbledore regarding the girl's sudden arrival, he had not expected her to show any real potential in the classroom for months.  
  
"Um, Spike? Spike was his nickname," Dawn offered meekly.  
  
"And how did William the Bloody earn this nickname?"  
  
"By torturing his victims with railroad spikes," Dawn answered, more confidently this time. When you spent as much time as she had being watched by Spike over the last year, you tend to have heard a lot of interesting stories. The Marauders exchanged a look. This was interesting. Remus was even taking notes.  
  
"Well done, Miss Summers. Ten points for Gryffindor. Perhaps you could share your thoughts on whatever became of the Order of Aurelius?"  
  
Dawn opened her mouth, ready to answer. It was so easy, far as she knew. Buffy had ground the Master's bones into dust years ago, and Angel had staked Darla to save Buffy even before that. Angel was still broody in LA, playing vamp-detective-hero. Dru was off somewhere in the wide world with Miss Edith, batty as ever and Spike of course was on the Hellmouth, fighting side by side with Buffy, right?  
  
Quickly as it opened, Dawn's mouth closed and she shook her head. That was her world. This world, however, had no Slayer, no Hellmouth, no Buffy. No way for any of those things she knew to have happened here.  
  
Slowly, the Professor nodded. Dawn had already gone way above and beyond expectation. "Very well, I shall tell you. In 1898, the vampire Angelus fed of a Romany gypsy girl, a favourite daughter of her clan-"  
  
Dawn stopped listening, thinking she knew it all by now. She quickly scribbled down 'Angel- 1898' on her parchment and left it at that. After all, she'd heard that story how many times before? Her ears perked up again a few minutes later, when she heard that Angel had eventually overcome both Darla and the Master, staking them before allowing the sun to rise on himself one morning just prior to the outbreak of World War One.  
  
A couple of fat tears splattered down onto the parchment, mixing with the ink, causing it to spider out in all directions. It could have been so different for Angel, there had been so much potential there. Instead there was nothing but a pile of ashes in the place of a lost champion, a lost love.  
  
James frowned, wondering what on earth could have upset Dawn this time. Wasn't all that sad, really, the most depraved vampire ever one day cursed with his own soul. Said vampire then decides to do some good for a change and take out the top ranks of the Order of Aurelius, putting himself and the world along with him out of its misery in the process. Frankly, James could see an upside to it all. Several of them, in fact.  
  
Finally, the Professor told of the fate of Spike and Drusilla. When she was attacked by an angry mob in Prague, in the 1950s, Drusilla was weakened beyond repair. Despite Spike's efforts to restore her to health, she eventually wasted away. After her death, Spike took to travelling the world alone, causing as much mayhem as vampirically possible. Though several wizarding governments worldwide had authorized his immediate capture and execution on sight, Spike had never been close to being caught. Dawn felt a tiny thrill of satisfaction when she heard that. Good for Spike.  
  
The lesson ended there, and they all packed up and set off for Potions in the dungeons. Dawn could sense her friends' burning curiosity to ask about the Order of Aurelius, but every time they tried she somehow managed to evade the subject. She needed a break from explaining things, and having things be explained to her. She was on something of an explanation overload.  
  
By the time she scurried off to meet Lily in the Library that afternoon, Dawn still hadn't answered any of the Marauders' questions. Little did she know, that while she was studying up on Charms (which, it turned out, she sucked at) the boys were up in their dorm room, discussing her.  
  
"There's something definitely up with her, man," Sirius sighed, throwing himself onto his bed.  
  
"How?" asked Peter, perplexed.  
  
"She knew that William the Bloody's nickname was Spike, for one," Sirius pointed out.  
  
"And she cried," James added. "When she found out Angelus was dust, she was crying. And look at her Defence notes," he said, whipping the notes he'd swiped from the girl in question from his pocket and passing them around.  
  
Sirius' eyebrows rose of their own accord as he scanned the sparse notes Dawn had made. No details, only names, dates (most more specific than the Professor had actually provided) and a few places. "Its like she actually knows these vampires," he realised. "Listen- Dru, Spike, Angel, and she's written 'Galway- 1753' beside Angel. I don't even remember hearing anything about Galway. Moony?"  
  
Remus, who always listened most attentively and took the most thorough notes, shook his head. "No," he said distractedly, his thoughts somewhere else. "Hey! D'you lot remember what happened last night?" he asked out of the blue.  
  
"Yeah," Sirius grinned, his mind full of chocolate cake and little stripy knickers.  
  
"When Dumbledore came to the Gryff table and asked her to go to his office," Remus began, but was interrupted by a loud "Oh! That!" of sudden comprehension from Sirius.  
  
James arched an eyebrow at his best friend. "What were you thinking of?"  
  
"Never you mind, Prongs," replied Sirius airily, and James shrugged. Sometimes, 'never you mind' was the safest answer to accept from Sirius.  
  
"Then would you two mind if I got back to the point?" interjected an impatient young werewolf. "Which is that Dawn told us she jumped through the portal fully expecting to die. She as good as told us she killed herself and not one of us thought to ask why!"  
  
"Well Dumbledore told us not to pressure her," Peter offered the lame excuse. "It was the same with those cuts, remember? The ones she made Madam Pomfrey heal the muggle way."  
  
James shook his head, as if to clear it from the jumble of thoughts within. "This just keeps getting weirder and weirder."  
  
When they met with Dawn at dinner, the boys were all itching to demand answers of her right then and there, but Remus, who knew what it was like to have to keep secrets, made them all swear to broach the subject tactfully.  
  
"What do you mean by that, Remus?" Peter had asked.  
  
Before Remus could reply, Sirius had sighed dramatically. "It means we've got to keep quiet and let him do it," he explained.  
  
But Remus did not find a suitable opening to introduce the topic that night, or for the rest of Dawn's first week as a Hogwarts student. It was Saturday morning when Sirius, too impatient to wait any longer, took matters into his own hands.  
  
He located Dawn in a secluded little sunny patch on the grounds, sitting on the soft grass and reading some of the Charms texts Lily had recommended. An idea popped into Sirius' mind and, with a quick look around to make sure no-one could see, he transformed into Padfoot and trotted silently towards Dawn.  
  
A long, hairy black snout poked itself under Dawn's book, flipping the cover closed. She looked up to see the huge, shaggy dog tilting his head at her, daring her to protest. Dawn locked gazes with the dog and smiled, not noticing the way Padfoot suddenly froze as he studied her.  
  
"Hey, Padfoot," she said softly, reaching out to scratch him behind the ears. To her confusion and horror, the massive dog who was supposed to be her friend growled menacingly at her, his hackles raised.  
  
The black dog slunk out of reach of the delicate fingers, still growling. There was something not right about Dawn- something completely out of place. He could feel it, but couldn't pinpoint the difference through the haze of bright green energy that was shrouding her.  
  
"Sirius?" Dawn whimpered fearfully.  
  
He changed back into his usual form, but his lips were still curled into an animalistic snarl. "What are you?" he demanded in a quietly dangerous voice.  
  
Dawn closed her eyes. No, this was not happening. Not now. Not yet, when she thought she'd just made the four most fantastic friends she'd likely ever make.  
  
"What are you?" Sirius repeated, his voice slow and deadly.  
  
Dawn forced herself to open her eyes and meet his accusing stare. "I- I can't tell you, Sirius. I'm sorry, I just can't."  
  
It was rule number two with Buffy: NEVER tell ANYONE about the Key. Of course, rule number one had been don't invite undead people into the house. Especially not Harmony.  
  
"So you're not human then?" Sirius demanded harshly, glaring at Dawn as if she was some sort of alien creature. A freak.  
  
"Yes! No- I mean-" Dawn stammered, her eyes wide and fearful. Fearful of the way Sirius was looking at her right now. "It's just complicated, I'm not supposed to say-"  
  
"Well I'm so very bloody glad I bothered letting you in on my secret, then," Sirius snapped sarcastically, jumping to his feet and shoving his longish hair out of his eyes. "So glad I didn't waste my time keeping quiet just cause 'I'm not supposed to say'!" After mimicking her voice cruelly, Sirius turned his back on Dawn and stalked away.  
  
"Sirius! Please!" Dawn called futilely to his retreating form.

-----   
**(A/N. Well, that's it for another chapter, I'll be really busy so I won't be updating for at least three months. Sorry to leave you hanging...  
  
Actually, I'm just teasing. I'm not THAT evil, I wouldn't leave you hanging off the edge of this cliff, it'd be too painful! For me- cause people would hunt me down and torture me, I know. After all this I really hope you enjoy the next scene... Anoron)**

-----

Sirius stormed into the dorm he shared with his three best friends, angry and confused. He threw himself down on Peter's bed with such force that the podgy boy actually squeaked in alarm.  
  
"Padfoot?"  
  
"She's lying to us," Sirius seethed. "She's not even _human_!"  
  
"What? Sear, what're you on about?" James called, looking up from researching their next big Malfoy prank.  
  
"Dawn!" Sirius burst out, exasperated. He launched himself off Peter's bed and began stalking almost comically about the room. "I went to find out what's up with her, and-"  
  
"Padfoot, I thought we agreed I would be the one to talk to Dawn" Remus frowned, his tone somewhat disapproving.  
  
"Yeah, well, you were taking too long. Anyway, she's... wrong. I can't explain it, but when I looked at her in my Animagus form, I could sense it."  
  
"You feelin' all right, mate?" James snorted. "Haven't gone and got yourself snarkered on fire-whiskey without letting us in on it, have you?"  
  
"No I bloody haven't!" Sirius yelled. "I'm telling you, there is something seriously off about Dawn Summers. She's not some helpless little girl, she's- green," he finished lamely.  
  
"Green?" Remus repeated, scepticism radiating from his entire being.  
  
"Yeah. There's all this green energy coming off her, bright as anything. But for some reason, I could only sense it when I was Padfoot," Sirius concluded, still not feeling any clearer on the whole thing after confiding in his friends. He heaved a massive sigh, still pacing moodily.  
  
Remus shared a look with the other two boys. For once, James looked almost as bewildered as Peter and Remus had to hide a smirk. "Well," he said slowly. "I don't think there's much we can do about it all, ourselves. The best we can do is hope Dawn trusts us enough in time to open up by her own choice."  
  
"Not good enough," Sirius said savagely. "She lied to us all. She's not even a normal person."  
  
"Neither am I," countered Remus, and the room was suddenly silent.  
  
"You're different, Moony," Sirius explained.  
  
"We don't know that. We've just got to give Dawn a chance," said Remus firmly. None of the others argued with him.  
  
They saved her a seat at dinner, but she never showed up to eat. When he was patrolling the halls with Lily as part of his Prefect duties, Remus kept an eye out for Dawn, but found no sign of her. Finally, after sitting up til midnight in the Common Room, the boys gave up on Dawn and went to bed.  
  
They'd just finished changing into their pyjamas when a timid knock sounded at their door. James went to open it.  
  
"Hi. Can I come in for a minute?" a subdued voice asked.  
  
James smirked. "Girls and boys aren't allowed in each others' dorms. C'mon in," he stepped aside and allowed Dawn to enter. She stood just inside the room, looking extremely uncomfortable.  
  
As James clicked the door closed, the other boys all turned to stare at Dawn. She was wearing only a pair of jeans and a sweater, her hair was hanging loose about her shoulders and looked a little windswept. Her face was ashen, her eyes rimmed red and her voice was just a little croaky when she finally spoke.  
  
"It's been brought to my attention that I haven't exactly been honest with you guys," she began with a significant glance at Sirius, who kept his face entirely neutral. "And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend or betray any of you, since you've all been so nice to me. It's just, if I had told anyone in my world what I really am, it could mean my death, and a whole lot worse. I guess I just got a little used to all the secrecy." She paused for breath, taking a look around to gauge how they were taking her confession thus far. Their expressions were still somewhat confused, but even Sirius' had softened towards her considerably.  
  
"I'm the Key."  
  
"Huh?" Peter vocalised the thought for the lot of them.  
  
Dawn bit her lip. How could she best explain this? "Ok, the Key is energy, if channelled in a certain way it has the power to alter the fabric between realities. Is everyone with me so far?"  
  
James, Remus and Sirius nodded. A half a moment later, Peter gave a small, uncertain nod, his forehead creased in confusion.  
  
"The portal," James realised. "It was _you_!"  
  
Dawn nodded, rubbing absently at her now-healed cuts. "Not intentionally, but yeah, it was me. It was my blood. See for centuries the Key was kept by the monks of the Order of Dagon, but then an exiled Hell-Goddess took to coveting the power of the Key. She planned to use it –use me- to open a portal to her home dimension so she could return there. The monks couldn't protect the Key themselves any longer, so they sent it to that world's strongest warrior- the Slayer."  
  
"Buffy?" Remus guessed, and again Dawn nodded.  
  
"But they had to be certain the Slayer would protect it with her life, so they sent the Key to her in human form. In the form of a sister."  
  
"Whoa," Peter breathed, after almost a full minute of stunned silence, in which Dawn fidgeted nervously and edged closer to the door. "So, you're really not human after all?"  
  
Dawn smiled sadly at the floor, not able to raise her gaze any higher. "No, no I am," she assured it softly. "I just wasn't always. In fact, the first fourteen years or so of my life were completely fabricated. Those monks made me out of Buffy's blood and kinda just slotted me into her world, bending everyone's memories to their will."  
  
For the first time since she'd walked into the room, Sirius spoke, his gaze never wavering from Dawn. "Why did I see the Key in you today? Why not before now? Why can't everyone?"  
  
"There are certain beings predisposed to sensing my 'condition'. For starters, there are those outside reality, which means if you have the second sight, or even just regular crazy people-"  
  
"Wonder why Damus never noticed then, on both counts," James joked, trying to lighten the mood before Dawn continued, now staring directly back at Sirius.  
  
"The Key is also susceptible to necromanced animal detection, specifically those of canine or serpent construct. I don't know why I didn't expect you to see it sooner, now I think about it. I guess maybe you didn't spot it back in the Leaky Cauldron because you weren't concentrating hard enough or something?"  
  
Sirius nodded slowly. That would explain it all too well. In fact, that explained just about everything, or enough for one night.  
  
"I guess I've said all I can, I'll get out of your space now," Dawn said quickly, and was out the door before they could stop her.  
  
Half a second later, Sirius was giving chase. "Dawn, wait!"  
  
One foot had made it onto the stairwell when Dawn froze, half on the landing and half on the stairs. Slowly, almost fearfully, she stepped back up and turned to look at Sirius. "Yes?"  
  
All of a sudden he was lost for words, and Dawn was wondering if that had ever happened before. All Sirius could think was that he had never felt like such an ass before, and he wanted to make it better. Behind him, Remus, James and Peter were crowding around to see. The Padfoot apology special was a rare performance.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't trust you," he finally said, feeling even as he spoke that it was an inadequate apology, but Dawn shook her head at him.  
  
"No, it's fine. Really."  
  
"Nah, I really shouldn't have said those things, they were pretty low. So, friends?" Sirius held out a hand to Dawn, pale blue eyes twinkling irresistibly.  
  
Dawn grinned and nodded furiously. "Of course!" she latched onto the outstretched hand, expecting to shake on it.  
  
Instead, she was hauled practically off her feet and into a smothering embrace. She gave a small grunt of surprise and barely managed to return the hug before she was drowning in a sea of boyish limbs.  
  
"Group hug!" James had yelled before he, Remus and Peter had crushed in on Dawn from all sides.  
  
A moment later, a door on a landing above opened, and the shadow of a seventh year boy edged closer. "What's all the racket down there?" an irritated voice called.  
  
"Frank Longbottom! Quick!" James hissed, and they smuggled Dawn out of sight into their dorm room once again.  
  
"Nothing, Frank. Sorry 'bout that," Remus called back before shutting the door hastily.  
  
They listened a moment to make sure Frank wasn't going to come down himself and check up on them before deciding the coast was clear. As if there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, as if they had a girl in their room at 1AM on every Sunday morning, the four boys threw themselves on their beds. Dawn stood awkwardly by and watched as Remus and James picked up a book each. Remus' was the fifth year Potions text. James', well, nobody could be sure until he spoke.  
  
"Hey Kitten, come over here and help me look up our next big Malfoy prank," he ordered, shifting to make room for her.  
  
"More Malfoy pranks?" Dawn asked, incredulous. How could they possibly top what they'd pulled earlier in the week?  
  
"Yep," James replied happily, hauling her up next to him. "We'll make him rue the damn day he ever called you that word."  
  
Dawn read over his shoulder as James flicked through the pages, looking for something nice and humiliating. The other boys busied themselves with whatever they liked, until Remus closed his textbook with a snap and set it aside.  
  
"Kitten? Can I ask you something?" he asked gently.  
  
Dawn, who had been on the verge of dropping off to sleep on James' shoulder, blinked at him. "What? Oh, sure Remus. What did you want to ask about?"  
  
He smiled, just a bit apologetically, and walked over to hand her back her Defence Against the Dark Arts notes that James had stolen. "How did you know so much about the Order of Aurelius, that day in Defence?"  
  
Dawn spent a moment frowning to herself. They'd actually stolen her notes? She made a mental note to make sure her diary was well hidden. Well, she wasn't happy about it, but she guessed she could see why they'd felt the need to stoop so low, given her complete lack of sharing.  
  
"We have the Order in my world too. I met all five of the most powerful members at one stage or another. Their beginnings were all the same as we learned them here, but their ends will be very, very different." She quickly filled them in on exactly how different things had gone between the two realities.  
  
"No wonder you cried when Angelus croaked," James remarked, patting Dawn roughly on the head.  
  
"And you know powerful vampires personally," Peter breathed, awestruck, and Dawn couldn't help but grin. Oh yeah, she knew the vamps.  
  
James all of a sudden shoved his book under her nose. "This is it," he announced.  
  
"What's that, Prongs?" Sirius called lazily from his position, sprawled on his bed and staring up at the ceiling.  
  
"Big flashing branding across the git's forehead: muggle lover. That'd really send him off his nut."  
  
"Hmm," Sirius deliberated, sitting up a little. "It's good..."  
  
"But not great," Remus finished for him.  
  
"Nah, I s'pose not," James muttered, chucking the book aside in disgust. "It needs something to top it off, that special Marauder touch."  
  
Dawn sat up a little straighter, an idea rapidly forming in the back of her mind, something that would complement James' prank to perfection. "How about..." she leaned over and whispered her idea in James' ear, then leaned back to anxiously await his reaction.  
  
He took all of half a second to process what Dawn had said, then burst into laughter so violently that the others were worried for his sanity.  
  
"Brilliant, Kitten," he gasped, and Dawn beamed at him.  
  
The next time Lucius Malfoy was spotted in the halls, he had a great, sparkling sign magically fixed to his back: MUGGLE LOVER- ZERO TO PEAK IN 1.5 SECONDS.

-----

Five teens came barrelling down a corridor, their shoes sliding along the floor as they skidded, changed direction suddenly, and burst through a door.  
  
"Whew, made it," Sirius huffed, dropping into a seat.  
  
Remus took a seat and checked his watch. He turned to the girl sitting next to him, both still panting with the exertion of their late- morning run through the castle. "See, thirty seconds to spare, Kitten. Told you it could be done," he grinned.  
  
Dawn groaned in response. "Yeah, but what's the point of getting to the Great Hall ten minutes before first period, and insisting you still have time for a full breakfast if you just feel like you're gonna yak it up anyway?"  
  
"Passes the time," James offered.  
  
"Only ten minutes," Dawn countered with a laugh. She did not miss the exasperated look Lily had aimed squarely at the messy-haired boy, and again wondered what on earth Lily Evans could have against James Potter. Before she could ponder the subject further, though, the Potions Professor swooped in and commanded the attention of all.  
  
Dawn carefully copied the instructions from the board while Remus went to fetch the ingredients for their Confusion Potion. The pair worked steadily together, Dawn content to follow Remus' lead. Although she discovered she did have a knack for the potions, she was far more trustful of Remus' experience than her own talent, at this early stage. She was currently pouring a careful dose of ground Burba weed into the cauldron, under Remus' watchful eye. The Professor had moved into the Potions Store to fetch more supplies and had yet to return.  
  
Suddenly, something slammed into Dawn, hard, and she stumbled against the desk and the cauldron. It was only the quick werewolf hands of Remus that prevented Dawn from spilling the entire jar of Burba weed into their potion. As it was, their potion was saved but the jar had smashed, spilling its contents all over the floor.  
  
Dawn turned slowly to find herself staring into the dark eyes of a skinny, weed-like boy with a hook-shaped nose and greasy black hair. "Clumsy little Mudblood," he muttered, moving to push past her.  
  
"What was that, Snivellus?" a voice growled over Dawn's shoulder. James, hazel eyes snapping with hatred and fury, already had his wand levelled at the slightly shorter boy's chest. A moment later, Sirius had materialised beside his best friend, wand also raised, his face easily as thunderous as James'.  
  
Peter was still in his seat, but he had a strange gleam of anticipation in his eyes, Dawn thought he'd be sure to lick his lips at any moment. She chanced a look at Remus, but his expression was quite the opposite to Peter's. Remus was frowning in a way that told Dawn something very ugly was about to go down.  
  
"I believe James here asked you a question, Snivellus," Sirius prodded coldly. Dawn almost shuddered at his tone of voice. Even when he'd been furious about her not telling the truth about the Key, he'd never spoken in such an awful manner to her. By now, the entire class had stopped to watch the show.  
  
The greasy-haired boy scowled and threw a venomous look to Dawn before he backed down and attempted to turn and stalk away. He found his way barred by two fuming Gryffindors intent on revenge. James was a heartbeat away from muttering a good, strong hex when a smooth, heavy voice slid through the tense silence.  
  
"So much for that ridiculous Gryffindor honour, duelling Snape two on one."  
  
Dawn turned to the speaker, who had stepped into the foreground. She was a formidable, yet handsome girl, dark eyes glaring out from under heavy lids, a mane of glossy black hair tumbling to her waist. There was a presence about her that immediately set Dawn's nerves on edge. This girl was trouble.  
  
"Care to even the odds, Bellatrix?" Sirius challenged, glaring over at her with a hateful sneer twisting his handsome face.  
  
Bellatrix tutted at him. "Now, now, cousin," she mocked. "I thought the men in our family were taught better than to raise a wand to a Lady."  
  
"You don't qualify," Sirius retorted with a humourless laugh.  
  
Dawn stared between the two cousins in silent shock. Sure, now she looked, she could make out the resemblance between Sirius and Bellatrix, but she could scarcely believe they were related. There was an innate warmth to Sirius, he was sweet and loyal and charming usually, but Bellatrix only filled Dawn with cold dread.  
  
Bellatrix's heavy lidded eyes narrowed at the insult Sirius had flung at her. She moved to strike, but Snape's snide voice halted her . "Why waste your energy, Bella, on a lowly little piece of filth so determined to be a blood-traitor and a Mudblood lover?" he hissed.  
  
Out of nowhere, James' had seized a handful of Snape's robes, yanking him off balance. "I'll hex your greasy self stupid for that til there's nothing left of you but an oil slick on the floor, Snivellus!"  
  
Several people laughed at that, and looking around her Dawn could see that most of the students were egging James on, hoping to see him do his worst to the other boy. Dawn frowned to herself, this whole situation was giving her the uneasy belly rumblin's. She caught the flash of fiery red hair as Lily stormed over to James and Snape, green eyes venomous with anger.  
  
"Stop it this instant the both of you!" she demanded. Neither moved, though Snape looked torn between refusing to take orders from a Mudblood like Evans and wanting to slink back into the shadows, away from the fight he knew he was never going to win. Either way, James still clutched the front of his robes, making escape impossible.  
  
"Potter," Lily said dangerously. "Let him go."  
  
Finding the redhead far more interesting than Snape, James threw the greasy teen away from him. Snape fell to the floor, but no-one moved to help him stand.  
  
"What's the matter, Evans?" James grinned. "It was only Snivellus."  
  
Dawn blinked. Where had THAT come from? She'd certainly never expected James would be capable of such callousness, but she had no time to dwell on the thought as Snape struggled to his feet, swearing under his breath.  
  
"One day, I swear it," he snarled at James, his voice waspish and full of malice.  
  
"Swear what?" Sirius snorted. "Swear you'll wash your hair? Well, we're all waiting for that day!"  
  
Again, laughter bubbled throughout the room, Lily, Dawn and Remus among the very few who didn't even crack a smile.  
  
"What's going on here?" an authoritative voice boomed. Most of the students, Dawn included, jumped in shock at the sudden reappearance of the Professor, but James turned to her and delivered his story at once, without so much as batting an eyelid.  
  
"Well Professor, Sniv- I mean, Severus- knocked over Remus and Dawn's powdered Burba weed. He was just about to apologise and help them clean it up."  
  
Dawn's eyebrows hit her hairline. James had just given her a new textbook definition of the term 'smooth talker'. Hell, she almost believed him herself!  
  
"And the entire class felt the need to watch him?" the Professor shot back, clearly not quite convinced. She had, after all, known James Potter for going on five years now.  
  
"It was the potion," James explained, one corner of his mouth dangerously close to twitching into a smirk. "I guess we all just got a little confused."

-----

Dawn shot curious looks towards Sirius throughout the entire Care of Magical Creatures lesson, but she couldn't find a spare moment in Professor Kettleburn's lecture on Blast-Ended Skrewts to speak to him.  
  
She just couldn't wrap her mind around it all: Sirius had a cousin here at Hogwarts, Bellatrix Black. And she was awful, Sirius clearly didn't get along with her at all. But then again, James and Sirius had behaved pretty badly towards Severus Snape, themselves. Sure, Dawn reasoned, Snape had started it by crashing into her and calling her a Mudblood, but James and Sirius had really pushed their retaliation a little far...  
  
Before Dawn knew it, she'd missed the end of the class and they were making their way back up to the castle for lunch in the Great Hall. Remus, noticing the looks Dawn had been constantly directing at Sirius since the conclusion of their Potions class that morning, settled into step beside her.  
  
"Don't think too much on that nonsense in Potions, Kitten. The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin just gets a bit out of hand- you should see it during Quidditch season!"  
  
"It's not just that," Dawn murmured back as they climbed the stone steps leading to the Entrance Hall. "Why doesn't Sirius like his cousin?"  
  
"Ah well," Sirius said with a humourless smile. "Sirius' family is a bit of a sore spot for him, I think it best I let him tell you about it when he's good and ready."  
  
Dawn's eyes widened slightly as Remus' words sank in. His entire family was a sore spot? She suddenly had the impression the scene back in Potions had a much longer back-story than she'd thought. She sat down at the Gryffindor table, thoroughly perplexed.  
  
"Think about it Kitten- I'm the only member of the Black family for generations to be sorted into Gryffindor. All the rest have been Slytherin," their topic of discussion spoke up, glaring over at the Slytherin table as he threw himself into a seat.  
  
Dawn's face heated up. She hadn't realised he'd been listening in on their conversation. How tactful of her. A second later, though, another question popped into her mind and she blurted it out without a second thought. "All of them? How many are there?"  
  
Ignoring James' snort at the age-old question: just how many Blacks are there running around the world, Sirius started scanning the Slytherin crowd. "Well you've already met Bella. Lucky you," he muttered sarcastically.  
  
He pointed to a blond seventh-year with a somewhat pinched expression. "There's her second oldest sister, Narcissa. She's actually dating Malfoy and I think the arrogant gits deserve each other."  
  
Ignoring the uneasy rumble in her stomach at the mention of Lucius Malfoy, Dawn arched an eyebrow. "Narcissa?" Interesting name, to put it politely. From the snicker James let out she guessed he shared her sentiments, but they remained quiet in order for Sirius to continue his explanation of the Black family tree.  
  
"Their eldest sister, Andromeda, graduated a couple of years ago. She was Slytherin, too, but she's alright really. She's working for the Ministry of Magic, dating a muggle named Ted Tonks. Good bloke, but my family is threatening to disown Andi if she continues to see him," Sirius told Dawn, his eyes alight with a strange mix of emotion. There was sadness for his family's stance, but obvious love and pride as he thought of his favourite 'Cousin Andi'.  
  
James and Remus shared a look. Usually Sirius wasn't one to open up so easily, there were things about his family he didn't even feel comfortable discussing with his fellow Marauders. But there was something about Dawn that was just trust-inspiring. Perhaps it was that she herself was so trusting, or that she was such an innocent in their world.  
  
"Oh. So, is there anyone else from your family here at Hogwarts?" Dawn prodded.  
  
Instantly, a closed expression settled over Sirius' face. His eyes were fixed squarely on a boy at the Slytherin table. Dawn nearly gasped: she found herself looking at a little version of Sirius, in physical traits at least. Though from watching him for only a few moments, Dawn could tell that the boy was nothing like Sirius inside, and it showed. He simply could not make his limbs move in the smooth, confident way that came so naturally to Sirius.  
  
"My brother Regulus. Third year. Apple of his father's eye and Mother's pride and joy, a true Black in their eyes. Pure-blood and proud of it," Sirius explained, his voice a near whisper, as if he did not want his brother to overhear.  
  
Feeling the stares of three older Gryffindors trained on him, Regulus looked up at that moment. His gaze found Sirius' and the two brothers simply stared at one another across the crowded room. James and Peter had long since started in on their lunches, but Dawn and Remus were watching the staring contest with great interest. The corners of both brothers' mouths were twitching, as if a part of them wanted nothing more than to grin at each other, to laugh and tease and muck around and do all those things they knew they were supposed to feel they could do with each other.  
  
Regulus broke first. He couldn't control the slight smile he'd cracked, but he did manage to turn it into scowl almost before anyone caught it. A moment later, he was back to eating his lunch as if nothing had happened and pointedly ignoring Sirius' existence. Sirius watched his brother a moment longer, then tuned back to the others.  
  
"So!" he said, in a voice ringing with false cheer. "What's happening?"  
  
James looked at him as if he'd gone insane. Or maybe just stupid. "It's called lunch, Padfoot. We eat it every day."  
  
"You don't say?" Sirius returned blandly as he looked to his own plate for the first time.

-----

end chapter.

Oooh don't ya just love Snivellus? There will be more of him sometime later I promise, but my main Slytherin to work with early on will be Lucius. Loved it? Hated it? Hiring a hit man to take me out so I can never post again? Well, that funky little review button right down there and let me know! Anoron


	6. Crush

**DISCLAIMER **Do I have to? Sigh. I own neither Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or anything within the two worlds. I also make no money, and certainly not from writing this. Happy?  
  
**A/N: **Well, slightly shorter this chapter and not much doing at that. As most of you are very clever and can see something when I hit you over the head with it, this chapter focuses a fair bit on setting up the beginnings for the pairing you've all already guessed anyway.  
  
**WARNING** This chapter is where the slight sexual references start to kick in. Nothing really too bad this time round, but they will get a tad more explicit and involved in much later chapters, so just in case you are totally opposed to anything other than holding hands and sloppy kisses under brilliant sunsets, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.  
  
**Dear reviewers... my greatest thanks for your time, support and suggestions as always....  
  
Sonofgloin** mwah Raunchy goodness, huh? Stay tuned....  
  
**Allen Pitt** Yeah, you're right that Dawn should've brought the werewolf issue up, but I'm saving it for later. In fact, next chapter is when it all comes out, so stay tuned for that. Although I do love some of those fics in existence, Spike is not a Malfoy here. And there is no Glory etc., the only big bad in this world will be the rise of the Big V. I'm also flying with the theory that there really are no Slayers and no Hellmouths in this dimension, think of it as a trade-off- one world has Hellmouths, the other has Wizarding communities as its magical hotspots. Buffy might pop up, but it definitely won't be in the traditional 'big sis to the rescue' way you'd expect. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Mademoiselle Morte** Well, axe-murderers are cheaper than hit men I guess. We'll see about Spike, I'm not sure yet. Thanks for the continued support.  
  
**Rachel** The eventual sequel I have planned should answer a few of those questions you have about where things are heading. Big hint- it's set during Order of the Phoenix. Also, go with the capital E for Eeeevil. Think Season 2 Spike, sans Dru (obviously). The year change, I have 100% decided finally, will not be alluded to at all, for the purposes of this story Dawn has simply been plopped into a parallel universe.  
  
**Kat** It will only get worse for your dear Luci in future, sorry to tell you. And I'm so glad you loved the cake- my fave scene in the story so far! Since you're clearly a Remus fan (and who could blame you) I'll try to flesh him out a bit in future chapters just for you. Keep in mind, there is the full moon coming up... Cheers.  
  
**Marz1** You are absolutely right about the Dawnie we all know and love, she probably would've smacked Malfoy's head in for trying to cop a feel. I'm just trying to work on a characterization of Dawn that I've never tried before, and it's a learning process. So thanks for the input, it all helps!  
  
**rogueangel182** Thanks! And you'll get to meet Harry in the sequel (for hints see the reply to Rachel's review above). And you're dead set on the pairing, too.  
  
**Chickalupe** I'm glad you can understand where I'm coming from with this 'version' of Dawn, and I'm really, really glad you liked the interactions with Snape and especially with Regulus. And who could forget the cake scene? Promise I am trying to write and update as quickly as possible, Amber, thanks for the support.  
  
**RoseWill** Thanks for the tip on the wrong names- I'll try to be more careful with my editing in future. And no, there won't be any three month waits for updates, you don't need to worry about that because my writing ALWAYS comes before my studies!! Cheers.  
  
**Beldaran** I have to say you have excellent taste because I love Padfoot too... obviously ;-)  
  
CHAPTER FIVE  
  
Weeks passed, and Dawn found she had settled into something of a pattern. She grew closer to her four friends, and with Lily's help, she had caught up to the fifth-year standards in all her class (with the obvious exception of Charms, which she still sucked at). She was now down to just one tutoring session per week with the redheaded witch.  
  
They sat at their usual table in the Library, Dawn swishing and flicking for all she was worth but still only managing feeble results at best. The book she was struggling to maintain a levitation charm on thudded back to the desk when a loud burst of laughter from the hall broke her concentration. Both girls whipped around, Lily's 'annoyed Prefect' face firmly in place to see who had caused the disturbance, just in time to see James walking by with Peter, still talking and laughing loudly.  
  
"Arrogant toe-rag," Lily muttered.  
  
Dawn's eyes flashed angrily. She'd been here almost a month now, and every conversation she'd had with Lily had involved some slight or other against James. Grateful as she was for all the time, effort and patience Lily had put into bringing her up to speed, Dawn decided she'd had enough.  
  
"I really wish you wouldn't do that, Lily," she said evenly.  
  
Lily blinked. "Do what?"  
  
"Continually insult one of my best friends in my presence. It's not very nice."  
  
An incredulous looks stole over the Prefect's face, and her green eyes had turned just a little frosty. "You're kidding, right Dawn? You do realise it's all the truth? James Potter is nothing more than a childish, self-involved git," she seethed.  
  
Dawn was rapidly passing from anger into a full-blown Summers rage. "You're wrong about him!" she burst out, ignoring the glares she received from the other students quietly studying. A few of them, though, put their quills down and turned their attention to the obvious argument brewing. It was a well known fact at Hogwarts that any argument involving Lily Evans was bound to be quite entertaining. Lily, too, was quickly succumbing to fury.  
  
"Oh honestly Dawn!" she said, exasperated. "You think you know everything there is to know about your little buddy Potter? You haven't even been here a month-"  
  
"And I'll bet in that month I've had more to do with James than you have in five years," Dawn interrupted. "So I'm gonna say, yeah, I think I know him a damn sight better than you do."  
  
"Could you be more naïve?" Lily snapped. "You saw what he and Black were doing to Severus Snape that day in Potions, and still you're wrapped up in this delusion of him being some harmless, innocent prankster!"  
  
"Oh because Snape was totally innocent that day himself," Dawn shot back sarcastically, pushing down the nagging feeling in her stomach that couldn't totally disagree with the point Lily had just raised.  
  
"Look, Lily, I appreciate all you've done for me, but James has been nothing but wonderful to me ever since I got stuck here and I won't sit here and listen to you continually insult one of the best friends I've ever had!" she said, surprised by the volume and strength of her own voice.  
  
"Don't sit here, then," Lily retorted, but Dawn was already shoving her belongings haphazardly into her bag.  
  
"I don't plan on it, anymore," Dawn informed Lily, though her voice had dropped back to its normal level as she rose and slung her bag over she shoulder. "Thanks for tutoring me, but I really don't think I'll be needing your help anymore."  
  
Lily snorted, and was about to make a snide remark about Dawn's dismal abilities in Charms, but something struck her then about what Dawn had said a moment ago.  
  
"Hey! Wait a sec!" she blurted.  
  
Dawn frowned. "What?"  
  
"What did you mean, 'since you got stuck here'? You're a transfer student, not a prisoner, you know. If you don't want to be here, why don't you just transfer back to your muggle school?" the redhead suggested, rather rudely.  
  
A part of Dawn knew it was very important she shut her mouth right about now, but she didn't care. She couldn't remember being this angry at someone since Buffy had avoided her after the death of their mother, and rational thought was no longer an option. Her eyes filled with angry tears, but her upper lip had curled into a snarl. She leaned over Lily, speaking so softly that the onlookers did not hear her words.  
  
"For your information, I can't go home because I don't have a home to go to anymore. And for the record, I said I was stuck here, not that I don't want to be here."  
  
Blinking, Dawn realised what she'd just let slip. Lily was staring up at her, her lingering anger now mixed with shock, and the beginnings of pity. Dawn hated pity. She bolted. She pushed through the crowd as she fled the Library, ignoring the scoldings of Madam Pince that followed her out the door.  
  
She hurtled through the castle with no fixed idea on where she was heading, when she found her back slammed painfully against the stone wall of one of Hogwarts' many hidden alcoves. Wincing, Dawn stared up into the cold face of Lucius Malfoy.  
  
Her anger from her argument with Lily ebbed away, replaced by a thrill of fear as she watched Malfoy raking his eyes over her. She shuddered with revulsion which only caused Malfoy to smirk at her. He had her arms in a vice-like grip, Dawn could feel her flesh bruising with each passing second, her weak struggles only intensifying the pain.  
  
Malfoy leaned down, his body pressed against Dawn, keeping her pinned to the wall. His lips were brushing her ear as he spoke, making her skin crawl.  
  
"Are we learning the rules yet, Mudblood?" he hissed, touching his tongue to the skin just behind Dawn's earlobe.  
  
"Let me go," Dawn whispered in a trembling voice, squirming in discomfort.  
  
Malfoy pulled back, but he was laughing cruelly, his strong hands still easily holding her down. "And why would I listen to a filthy little Mudblood like you? It's time you learned that I could buy and sell your worthless carcass a hundred times over without even having to visit Gringotts. Think one day I might try that... just for fun," he threatened, his gaze once again sliding up and down her body like he was appraising a piece of meat.  
  
The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, a moment later, a large group of students passed their alcove. Before Dawn could think to cry out for help, Malfoy shoved roughly away from her and slipped out of the alcove. He melted into the crowd, leaving Dawn scrunched up against the wall alone, hugging herself and trying not to shake.  
  
Several moments passed; the sounds of footsteps had long since faded into oblivion before Dawn, shaking herself slightly to get herself back together, hefted her bag and stepped back into the hallway. Forcing herself to breathe at a calm, even pace, she slowly made her way up to Gryffindor Tower to drop her bag off in the dorms before dinner.  
  
She was just stepping back into the Common Room from dumping her bag when Remus and Sirius entered from the opposite staircase.  
  
"Hey Kitten," they called as she joined them, Dawn silently thankful that they didn't seem to notice her pale face and slightly wild-eyed look. Of course, Remus wasn't looking so crash hot himself, but then it was the full moon in a couple of nights.  
  
"Hey," she returned, managing a small smile. Remus, though, was frowning thoughtfully at her, and for a moment Dawn panicked that he could sense something was wrong and was going to force it out of her. She really didn't feel like sharing the news that Lucius Malfoy planned to trade her around like a mere possession, just because he thought he could get away with it.  
  
"Dawn, why aren't you still in the Library? You can't have finished with Lily so quickly before dinner," Remus asked.  
  
Not feeling like discussing Lily any more than Lucius at the moment, but knowing she had to tell them something and may as well get it over with now, Dawn sighed. "I'm, uh, not going to be having tutoring sessions with Lily any more," she admitted slowly.  
  
"Why?" Sirius blurted. "I mean, no offence Kitten, but you can't have got any better at Charms yet!"  
  
Dawn giggled. It was only too true. "No, that's fair- I still suck at Charms. But I sort of had an argument with Lily and we both decided we didn't particularly want to spend that much time together any more," she told them.  
  
"Arguing with the Tigerlily," Sirius winced. "Ouch. Let me guess, you'd had enough of the Potter-bashing?"  
  
Dawn nodded. She had confided in the two boys with her on a number of occasions how difficult it was, listening to Lily always insulting James. "Hey, speaking of, where are James and Peter? They walked by the Library a while ago, but..." Dawn trailed off. She didn't know where the other half of the Marauders had been heading.  
  
Remus just shrugged as they headed out of the Common Room, on their way to the Great Hall for dinner. "James had Quidditch practice, and Peter went to watch."  
  
"He gets off on it," Sirius muttered under his breath, snickering. Dawn and Remus grimaced. Bad image. Bad, bad image.  
  
The trio were half way though their meal by the time James and Peter turned up. James' cheeks were stained slightly red, and small droplets of sweat still clung to his forehead, telltale signs of the exercise he'd just been through. Physical exertion looked good on him, and Dawn could see several of the girls in the Great Hall eyeing James off appreciatively. Lily was most certainly not one of them.  
  
While Sirius and Remus listened to James and Peter's incessant babbling about how well Quidditch practice had gone, Dawn amused herself by making a quick count of all the girls James never noticed were obviously interested in him. Eight girls from Gryffindor, seven from Ravenclaw, and an outstanding thirteen Hufflepuffs, though not all of them were girls. Dawn reached the Slytherin table and her stomach clenched painfully. The first thing she saw was Malfoy leering at her across the Great Hall, filling her with a sense of revulsion. She dropped her gaze and her fork, no longer interested in either her game or her dinner.  
  
"Oi," James frowned at her. "What's that all about?"  
  
Dawn shrugged, trying to keep her behaviour as nonchalant as possible. "Finished."  
  
"No you're not," Sirius told her sternly. "Look- you've still got half a plate full."  
  
"You really should try to finish a bit more, Kitten. You'll make yourself sick if you don't eat enough," Remus reminded her over his own sparse meal.  
  
"I've had enough," Dawn protested weakly. "Really, guys, I'm fine."  
  
Sirius poked her in the side. Dawn squealed. James poked her in the other side. She squealed again.  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
"No," they replied blandly, poking her again. "Not til you finish your dinner."  
  
Dawn had real difficulties getting her next sentence out through her wild giggles caused by the fingers poking into her sides incessantly. "How am I supposed to eat if you won't quit poking me?" she laughed. "Besides, Remus isn't eating all that much- go poke him!"  
  
"Moony isn't as pokeable as you are," Sirius smirked, the double- entendre radiating off him. "No offence, Moony," he added insincerely.  
  
"None taken, Padfoot," Remus responded, watching with bemusement as the full meaning of Sirius' words occurred to Dawn. None of the other boys seemed to notice, but her big blue eyes grew impossibly large, she looked absolutely thunderstruck that anyone could possibly view her of all people in that light.  
  
She took a large mouthful of pumpkin juice to mask her sudden confusion and ended up choking on it. Sirius thumped her hard on the back.  
  
"All right, Kitten?" Remus called across the table, barely concealing a grin.  
  
Dawn nodded a little too quickly to be casual, and when she spoke, her voice was just a little too high pitched not to be strained. "Uh-huh! Fine!"  
  
This time, Remus had to cover his mouth with his napkin to hide his laugh. James happened to catch the mirth in his eyes, though, and raised his eyebrows questioningly. As inconspicuously as possible, Remus inclined his head towards Sirius and Dawn, his gaze flicking pointedly from one blue- eyed teen to the other.  
  
On the pretence of pulling a platter of food closer, James leaned forwards so he could better see both his friends in question. Sure enough, Dawn was shooting shy, almost curious glances out of the corner of her eye at Sirius, who was looking incredibly smug and self-assured. More smug and self-assured than usual, at any rate.  
  
James looked back at Remus and the pair burst out laughing so suddenly and violently that Peter choked on his pudding in alarm.  
  
"What's the matter with you two?" Dawn asked, feeling as baffled as Sirius and Peter looked.  
  
"Nothing at all, my soft little Kitten," James returned pleasantly, after he and Remus had calmed down enough to share a look that plainly said they could have a lot of fun with this new development.  
  
"I'm not soft," Dawn protested sulkily. When would people learn? She was not a child, and she was not soft either.  
  
"Sure you are. Look-" James laughed, unleashing an assault on Dawn's stomach with his fingers. "You're all squishy!"  
  
"Stop!" Dawn squealed, slapping at his hands through her giggles. After what seemed like an age of the tickle-torture, James finally relented, leaving Dawn a helpless giggling mass clutching the table for support.  
  
"Ah well," James sighed. "Not everyone can have rock hard abs like me."  
  
At this, Dawn, Remus and Sirius all snorted. Dawn poked James hard in the stomach, and he deflated a little in the mid-section. Dawn arched an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Rock solid, huh?"  
  
James laughed good-naturedly and slung an arm over Dawn's shoulder, seeming not to notice as she squirmed in discomfort. He was, after all, still fairly sweaty from Quidditch. "Damn, Kitten, if I'd ever met you before Evans," he joked.  
  
Remus' amber eyes were alight with amusement in his tired face. He wasn't sure if Sirius was even fully aware of it himself, but a slight scowl had been set on his face from the moment James had begun flirting with Dawn. And with James' last words, it had just got that much deeper.  
  
The group finished their meal and started the walk back up to the Common Room. Dawn was fussing over a nasty cut Peter was showing her he'd sustained from a whip-fern in Herbology earlier that day. Sirius was trying very hard not to laugh at the memory of the plant that had lashed out at his friend who had accidentally tried to prune it. Remus and James dropped back a few steps so they could speak privately.  
  
"What do you think of that, eh Moony?" James smirked as Sirius casually dropped his pace half a step to be in a better position to check Dawn out from behind as she walked. Dawn, busy pressing Peter to make sure his cut didn't need medical attention, did not notice a thing.  
  
Remus just shook his head. "We've seen that look on his face a hundred times before. I just hope he knows what he's doing."  
  
"He's known exactly what he's doing since fourth year," came the reply, accompanied by a derisive snort. Sirius had been the first of all of them to start /i getting to know girls, he was something of a player and had joined the game at the tender age of fourteen.  
  
"That's not what I meant, Prongs. It's different this time. Dawn's not just some random pretty girl that's caught his eye, she's one of us," Remus pointed out. "I don't know if Sirius gets that she's not going to just disappear whenever he's done with her."  
  
"He knows," James said quietly. "Look at him."  
  
Again, the pair directed their gazes ahead to study their friends. Dawn was now telling them all about a cut on her wrist in the past year that had taken weeks to heal, showing Peter the scar that ran much of the length of her forearm. Remus frowned, wondering what James was trying to make him see.  
  
"What?" he hissed out of the corner of his mouth. "All I can see is Sirius still staring at Dawn's ass."  
  
"Well yeah, but he's listening to her, too. He's never done that before."

* * *

Dawn awoke with a sharp gasp. Sweat streaked across her skin, blood pounded in her ears and the fresh visions of her nightmare assaulted her mind. She let out a little sob, which quickly brought to her attention the tears on her cheeks. As the feeling of loneliness crashed in on her, Dawn looked around for a friend.  
  
Well, Lily was definitely out, so she quickly considered the occupants of the other three beds in the room, Candice, Michelle, and Isabel. They were nice girls, they always smiled and waved and giggled... and hardly ever said two words to her beyond 'hi' and 'bye'. Nope, not friends.  
  
She'd already gone as far as the foot of the boys' staircase before she stopped to consider what she was doing. Then she faltered. Not because she knew she wasn't allowed up there, since she slipped up to see her friends whenever she felt like it, but because it was a bit weird, really. Dawn was practically dancing on the bottom step of the boys' stairs in her indecision. She couldn't just go barging in on them in the middle of the night because of a silly little nightmare. Could she? They _had_ told her she was welcome to come up at any time of the day or night.  
  
"Never tried staircase-dancing before. Is it fun?" a voice from above laughed. Dawn jumped in surprise, but relaxed a moment later when James materialised before her from the dark landing above.  
  
"James," Dawn breathed. "What're you doing up?"  
  
Slipping by to get into the Common Room, James wandered over to a table and poured himself a goblet of water from the pitcher set there. "Came to get a drink. What are _you_ doing, about to sneak into the boys' dorms in the middle of the night? Naughty girl, can you imagine explaining that one to McGonagall?" he sniggered.  
  
"I had a nightmare," Dawn admitted shyly. "I needed a... I just wanted to..." she shook her head.  
  
James pulled a face at her. "Someone need a hug?" he asked in a mock- baby voice. Feeling both childlike and reassured all at once, Dawn nodded. She let James walk back over to her, still standing on the bottom stair, and wrap her up in a huge bear hug that threatened to crack ribs and cut off circulation.  
  
He broke the hug after a minute and began steering Dawn upstairs with a hand to the small of her back. They held a quick, whispered conversation as they went. "So, what was your dream?"  
  
"Horror, pain, bloodshed, my Mom and sister, same as before."  
  
"Before?" James whispered sharply, steadying Dawn as she stumbled up a step in the dark. "You've had them before?"  
  
"Once or twice," Dawn admitted sheepishly.  
  
James paused just outside the fifth year door and faced her. "You can come to us when you have a nightmare Dawn, that's what were here for. You know that, right?"  
  
Dawn searched for the right response, stumbling over her words. "Well of... of course I... I mean, yeah... sure.... Um, do you mean that James?" she finally whispered, her clingy, childish tendencies reigning supreme.  
  
James laughed quietly at her for being so silly while he eased the door open. The level of their whispers dropped so as not to wake the three sleeping occupants of the room. "Of course I mean it. If you ever have another nightmare, I expect you to come right up here to us. Got that?"  
  
Dawn nodded gratefully.  
  
"Good. Now get in here," he lifted the covers of his bed and ushered her under them. James slid in beside her, and Dawn was surprised that she didn't feel awkward in the least. She just felt safe.  
  
"Thanks, James," she whispered, turning her head to face him.  
  
"S'ok, Kitten," he smirked. "'Sides, what guy wouldn't want to wake up next to a girl like you?"  
  
"What!?" it came out as a half-strangled yelp. James quickly shushed her when Peter stirred a moment, but then settled and resumed his usual pattern of snoring.  
  
"Well if you don't believe me we could ask for a second opinion," James teased. "I'll just wake Sirius and ask him what he'd think about waking up next to you-"  
  
"No!" Dawn hissed, panic-stricken. She was pretty sure she was well on the way to falling for the aforementioned boy, and him contemplating anything that involved waking up in bed with her would lead to her making a few vowel sounds and then having to go away.  
  
His eyes were glowing with mirth to the point that James was silently thankful for the darkness that kept Dawn from seeing the gleeful look on his face. Unfortunately, it also meant that he didn't get to enjoy any of her hilarious expressions throughout the exchange. Thank Merlin for his vivid imagination.  
  
"Why not?" he asked innocently.  
  
All Dawn could manage was a mutter that sounded vaguely like 'being silly' and a suggestion that they get some sleep. James just smiled and closed his eyes. He felt Dawn snuggle deeper under the covers next to him and in minutes they were both asleep.  
  
Dawn slept the rest of the night through peacefully and free of nightmares. It was early morning before she awoke, blinking in the dull grey light of the dawn. She could hear the deep, rumbling breaths coming from each bed (including the one she was in) and knew that the four boys were still asleep.  
  
James, however, stirred when Dawn gently pushed his arm off her stomach. He groggily lifted his head, and Dawn waved silently before moving to scoot off the bed. She had to stop, though, when a large hand clamped around her slim wrist, swallowing it completely.  
  
Dawn arched an eyebrow at James, but he just shook his head to indicate that she wasn't going anywhere. In this silent conversation, Dawn replied by frowning her puzzlement, but a smirk had already settled over James' face. He beckoned the girl closer and tapped a finger to his cheek. Dawn blessed him with a wide smile before leaning over to knock a sisterly kiss to his cheek.  
  
"Thanks James," she whispered, breaking their code of silence at last before she slipped away, back to her own room. With no small amount of amusement for her antics, James watched her go.  
  
It took a pillow colliding with the side of his head to refocus his attention. James' head snapped around to catch sight of a tousle-headed Sirius aiming another of his pillows at him.  
  
"Morning Padfoot," James called in a voice full of quiet sarcasm.  
  
"What was that all about?" Sirius hissed, nodding his head to the door Dawn had just passed through.  
  
James grinned. Oh, this was too easy. And too much fun. "Never you mind, Padfoot," he said airily, then hurled Sirius' pillow right back at him. Sirius scowled.  
  
"No, really," Sirius persisted, climbing out of his bed and throwing himself onto James' so they could talk without waking Remus and Peter. "What the hell was up with that? You can't have got over Evans so quickly, you spent half of dinner last night trying not to stare at her." Although, Sirius added silently to himself, slightly annoyed, James had spent the other half of dinner flirting shamelessly with Dawn.  
  
To his astonishment, James started to cackle. Loudly. Remus mumbled something incoherent and rolled over and Peter gave one final, shuddering snore before his eyes popped open.  
  
"James," Remus moaned, disgruntled. A feeling of guilt quietened James' laughter considerably when he realised just how terrible Remus looked. After all, it was the full moon only the following evening.  
  
"Sorry Moony," he called, but he was still chuckling slightly. "But Sirius is pretty funny when he gets all jealous."  
  
"What?" Sirius yelled, looking totally confused.  
  
Now wide awake, Remus caught the undertone to James' words at once and smiled. The four boys piled out of bed and began to dress. "Oh yeah? What's he jealous of?"  
  
"Me, sleeping with Dawn," James announced, hazel eyes sparkling, the most satisfied of self-satisfied smirks etched onto his face.  
  
Peter blinked. "You did it with Dawn? Wow, I didn't hear a thing!"  
  
James sighed and rolled his eyes. Remus had to bite his tongue and force his gaze to remain locked on the tie he was knotting about his neck. If he watched Sirius growling moodily at one more button he fastened he would not be able to keep a straight face.  
  
"No, Wormtail. I'm still holding out for Evans. Dawn just had another nightmare and she didn't want to be alone so I made her stay up here. Padfoot just wigged when he woke up and saw her leaving me bed 'cause he's got a thing for her," James said frankly.  
  
"I do bloody not!" Sirius yelped, looking horrified.  
  
"Oh come off it, Padfoot, we can pick it a mile away," Remus laughed. "After all, you haven't gone after one single girl since she got here."  
  
"A guy can't mature?"  
  
"Sure a guy can," James snorted. "But not you. Also, you spend every spare second checking her out."  
  
"So? She's a hottie."  
  
"But you still listen to what she has to say," Remus fired back.  
  
"It's polite."  
  
"You always wonder what underwear she's wearing," James added.  
  
"We picked out some really cool ones."  
  
"And you've been to smart to put the moves on her yet," Remus finished.  
  
"It's too soon."  
  
The room was silent for a beat after Sirius' accidental confession.  
  
"Oh bullocks!"  
  
The raucous laughter of his three best friends followed Sirius as he stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door.

* * *

Sirius was still scowling at the others when they met Dawn in the Common Room to head to breakfast. The entire walk to the Great Hall was spent with Dawn questioning Sirius over his sour expression. Sirius remained adamant that everything was just fine, much to the amusement of James, Remus and Peter.  
  
The day passed peacefully enough, which was a rarity for the Marauders, though Dawn had a sneaking suspicion it had a lot to do with the fact that Remus was looking paler by the hour. There was no point in pulling any pranks on a day when their chief strategist was not up to ensuring their flawless execution. The most noteworthy aspect of their day had been James getting rejected a record seven times in one Charms lesson, each time by the same girl of course, none other than Lily Evans.  
  
"Mmm, weekend tomorrow," James sighed happily, closing his eyes. The group was sprawled out in front of the Common Room fire, enjoying the peaceful time between dinner and bed.  
  
"Thank God," Dawn sighed. "I need the extra time for my Charms homework." They had spent the Charms lesson that day trying to charm legs onto teacups. Dawn's teacup had somehow sprouted butterfly wings. Ugly orange ones, at that.  
  
"We'll help you with it later," Sirius offered, shooting Dawn a grin that had the colour rising in her cheeks.  
  
"I think I'll go to bed now," she said hastily, jumping up.  
  
"Hold up, we've got to tell you something," Remus called form his position, curled up on the couch and staring into the flames.  
  
"Oh yeah," Peter remembered. "You have to meet us back down here at midnight."  
  
Dawn frowned. "Why?"  
  
"Just be here," Sirius told her.  
  
"Ok then," Dawn said slowly, wondering what exactly she was getting herself into as she headed up to her dorm.  
  
She dozed until the time came, then slid silently out of bed, throwing on a pair of jeans under her nightie. When she tip-toed into the Common Room a minute later, it looked empty. She waited, then a hand materialized seemingly out of thin air and beckoned her over to the portrait hole. Dawn went closer, and the hand closed over hers, pulling her underneath James' Invisibility Cloak.  
  
Soundlessly, they made their way out of the Common Room and down in the general direction of the Great Hall.  
  
"Where are we going?" Dawn whispered.  
  
Sirius held a finger to his lips to indicate they needed complete silence as they turned down a new staircase and along a hallway Dawn had never seen before.  
  
It was here that James finally pulled the Cloak off them and they stood in front of a painting of various fruits. Dawn raised her eyebrows. Sure, it was a nice painting and all, but it wasn't exactly worth the risk of getting caught sneaking around the castle in the middle of the night.  
  
"Tickle the pear," James urged her.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Just do it, Kitten. Tickle that pear there and see what happens," Remus said.  
  
Feeling a little foolish, Dawn reached out and fluttered her fingers over the painted pear a couple of times. She gave a delighted laugh a moment later, when the pear giggled and morphed into a door handle.  
  
"Wicked cool," Dawn said, and didn't need to be encouraged to turn the handle before the five found themselves in the Hogwarts Kitchens.  
  
Immediately, they were set upon by the strangest little creatures Dawn had ever laid eyes on. They could only be described as cute... in an ugly sort of way.  
  
"Sirs have come back! Sirs have come back!" they called in high pitched voices, clamouring to get close to the group of visitors. "We House-Elves is very honoured that Sirs is come to visit us. And what's this? Sirs is very kind to bring another friend! And such a pretty friend- she must be one of Sirs' date?"  
  
Dawn blushed dark red at the complement as the House-Elves continued to chatter. Her blush turned to magenta a moment later, when Sirius and James each tried to snake an arm about her waist and claim her as his date and ended up, as usual, squabbling like children over the issue.  
  
When the excited babble, that sounded very much like a Chipmunks record on super-speed, died down, Remus spoke up. "This is our friend. Her name's Dawn. Dawnie, these are the House-Elves. They run the Kitchen and take care of the cleaning and the laundry around here."  
  
"Hi," Dawn grinned at the little beings. "It's nice to meet you all."  
  
To her horror, it was like an instant crying storm had swept through the kitchens. It was as if Dawn's words had unleashed a dam in every one of the House-Elves, who were now sobbing for all they were worth.  
  
"Mistress Dawn is too kind," one of them choked out. "Mistress Dawn is surely a great and powerful witch to be a friend to Sirs here, she is surely too good to be so kind to us!"  
  
Dawn whimpered. She felt awful to have caused such an upset, but Sirius nudged her to get her attention discreetly.  
  
"Don't be upset," he said, his lips way too close to her ear not to cause her to shiver slightly. "It's just their way. They're slaves, you see, it's in their nature to be so subservient."  
  
Dawn didn't really get it, but she nodded anyway. Slavery? Yuck. The House-Elves calmed down and ushered them to a table, less than a minute later, they had proudly laid out a banquet. The group thanked the House- Elves, then dug into the delicious food.  
  
"So why are we doing this?" Dawn asked, swallowing a bite of apple pie. "I mean, what's the occasion?"  
  
"We come down here together for a midnight snack once a month, before I..." Remus began to explain, but broke off abruptly when he realised he'd just come dangerously close to spilling his secret.  
  
Dawn understood immediately, and she also understood the tense silence that had settled over the kitchen. She mentally kicked herself for being so pushy and ignorant. Quickly adopting a clueless smile, she bailed Remus out of the dilemma she'd pushed him into.  
  
"So once a month you come down here together to visit the House- Elves? That's so sweet," she cooed.  
  
The Marauders all exhaled for the firs time since Remus had shut up, and they all nodded, latching eagerly onto the explanation. "That's right," James said quickly.  
  
"Plus the food is great," Peter added, pulling a dish of chocolate pudding towards him.  
  
"That it is," Dawn readily agreed, sticking her own spoon into the pudding dish.  
  
They finished their midnight snack and said good-bye to the House- Elves, thanking them again for the fantastic food. Silently, they slipped back into the hallway after checking the coast was clear.  
  
While James was bust pulling the Invisibility Cloak from his pocket and trying to unfold it, Dawn began exploring the off-shooting corridors from the one they were in. The first dark side hall appeared to be empty, except for one small table at the far end. Dawn peered towards it, sure she'd just seen it shake the tiniest bit.  
  
Knowing how stupid it was even as she did so, Dawn took a step forwards. There was a dark shape forming, blossoming out from underneath the table like a spreading shadow. Now would be a good time to run, Dawn told herself, but her feet remained rooted to the spot as the emerging shadow took on the distinct form of a person.  
  
Angelus.  
  
Dawn screamed.  
  
Angelus advanced, chuckling coldly. "What's the matter, Dawnie? Haven't you missed me?" he sneered.  
  
Dawn's eyes were wide as saucers. No... This was impossible- the Angelus in this dimension was long gone. But it had to be the Angelus she knew, because he knew who she was. But then how had he got here? How had he lost his soul? Was he after her? Why? She tried to scramble backwards, only to end up in an undignified heap at Angelus' feet. Her head tilted back, she stared up at him fearfully. Footsteps from the other hall were thundering closer, but to Dawn it all seemed a million miles away.  
  
Angelus was still chuckling that same cruel, malicious laugh. "You know, I'm trying to remember that promise I made you, Lil' Bit. What was it again? Oh yeah- when I was done with big sis I'd come and give you a go. Well guess what Dawnie? I don't see dear old Buff round here anywhere, and I always make good on my promises," he finished in a deadly whisper.  
  
"No. Please, no," Dawn whimpered helplessly, sobbing at the vampire's feet.  
  
Three pairs of hands roughly yanked Dawn to her feet and out of the range of the snarling Angelus. As Dawn collapsed against Peter, with Sirius and James standing close by them, Remus strode forwards, wand raised.  
  
Before Dawn's dumbfounded eyes, as Angelus realised Remus had come between him and his prey, he stopped short. He disappeared with a loud pop. A second later, he had been replaced with an image of the full moon.  
  
"Riddikulus," Remus said firmly, and with a wave of his wand the moon image dissipated.  
  
Dawn was in hysterics, shaking and crying all over Peter, who looked a little petrified himself, trying in vain to calm the girl. He shot a look at his friends that clearly screamed 'help'. James was closer, but Sirius shoved him aside and gathered Dawn up securely in his arms. James was about to start sniggering when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.  
  
"Filch!" he hissed.  
  
Immediately, they all huddled together and James threw the Invisibility Cloak over them. Dawn was still far from calm, letting out short, ragged gasps of air. Sirius pressed a hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds as the crotchety caretaker of the castle, Argus Filch, shone a lantern down their hallway. They all held their breaths as Filch stared down in their direction for the longest time, as if he could sense how close he was to the joy of handing out five detentions in one fell swoop. Sirius could feel Dawn still trembling against him through the thin cotton of her nightie, and forced himself to remain silent and focus on anything other than exactly how thin her clothing really was, now he thought of it.  
  
Finally, grumbling about 'wretched students' and 'that damned Peeves', Filch turned and lumbered off into the darkness. They waited a full minute to be sure he was gone before making the slow, silent trek back up to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
In the safety of the boys' dorm, they shed the Cloak and let out a collective sigh of relief. Remus, who was looking downright awful by this stage, said goodnight and went straight over to his bed, pulling the hangings around him as he went. Peter soon followed suit.  
  
"You all right, Kitten?" James asked, touching a concerned hand to her pale cheek. When she gave a nod to the affirmative, he grinned his goodnight and drew the hangings about his bed, leaving Dawn and Sirius standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. The silence stretched on, becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second until Sirius took a deep, fortifying breath.  
  
"C'mon," he said gently, taking her hand and tugging her closer to his bed. "I don't think you should be going back to your dorm alone when you're so upset."  
  
Dawn's stomach flip-flopped. Damn James for leaving her out here alone with him, she would have a nervous breakdown by morning for sure! "Ok," she managed in a strangled whisper. Sirius yanked the covers down for her and stepped back to let her in.  
  
Modestly, Dawn turned her back on Sirius while she unfastened her jeans and slipped them off from underneath her nightclothes. She wished he would look away, but Sirius could not tear his eyes from the scene. By the time he had watched Dawn step out of her jeans, his breathing had quickened to the point of almost panting. Dawn carefully folded her pants and placed them on Sirius' bedside table, willing her hands to stop their nervous shaking as she sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
Just to give himself time to get a grip, Sirius walked around to the other side of the bed. Dawn kept her back turned, but she couldn't help sneaking a glance over her shoulder as Sirius shed his clothes down to his boxers, leaving them in a crumpled heap on the floor. He cleared his throat and Dawn turned around, colour flooding her face. She bit her lip and tried not to stare too obviously at his bare chest: he really was very good-looking.  
  
"Could you, uh, hand me that shirt?" he whispered, gesturing to the black t-shirt lying carelessly on the bedside table, partially hidden by her neatly folded jeans.  
  
Dawn snatched it up and tossed it at Sirius, not quite able to look him in the eye. When they were both finally changed, they slid under the covers and Sirius leaned over Dawn to turn the lamp down. Dawn lay flat on her back, rigid as a board, her hands clutching uncertainly at the sheet. Damn, but it hadn't been nearly this awkward sharing with James. She cursed her stupid girlish stomach that just would not stop fluttering.  
  
"So who was your Boggart?" Sirius whispered, breaking the tense silence.  
  
"What? What's a Boggart?" Dawn whispered back, turning her head to face him.  
  
Sirius rolled onto his side so he could face her properly as they spoke. "The thing we saw outside the Kitchens. It takes the form of whatever you fear the most. So, who was yours?" he prodded.  
  
Dawn grimaced. "Well, remember how I told you we had the Order of Aurelius where I'm from, too? You just met Angelus."  
  
"They really weren't kidding when they said he was sadistic, huh?" Sirius whispered back, to which Dawn shook her head.  
  
"No, they really weren't." She unconsciously shifted a little closer to Sirius and he gave her a quick, reassuring squeeze. The last thing Dawn remembered thinking before drifting off to sleep was hw nice his arm felt draped across her shoulders. A moment later, Sirius' eyelids had also fluttered closed.  
  
He slowly drifted back into consciousness with the morning light, aware only of the pleasant sensation of being entangled in something warm and soft. Gradually, Sirius opened his eyes and smiled down at the slender arm wrapped about his waist, and the soft cheek snuggled into his shoulder. When he realised the effect the feel of that slender arm soft cheek was truly having on him, however, the smile disappeared from Sirius' face as abruptly as a light bulb blowing.  
  
Slowly, he raised his head so he could see down the length of his body. Oh yeah, he was in big trouble. His head dropped back onto the pillow, his eyes wide and staring at the ceiling, his breathing rapid and shallow.  
  
_Think un-sexy thoughts. Think un-sexy thoughts. Think un-sexy thoughts._  
  
Dawn mumbling something about two birds and one stone making yummy dead birds and snuggling even closer into his side really didn't help matters for him. Oh Merlin, now her hand had gone and drifted down to the skin of his waist exposed by his t-shirt riding up in the night. The touch was sending shockwaves throughout his entire body.  
  
"Think un-sexy thoughts. Think un-sexy thoughts."  
  
"What's that?" Dawn mumbled, blinking her huge blue eyes sleepily up at him.  
  
Uh-oh. Did he really just say that out loud? Bad. Very, very bad. "Nothing. Good morning," Sirius whispered quickly, praying the situation wouldn't get any worse for him than it already was.  
  
Dawn smiled drowsily, then she realised exactly how close they were and she blushed, quickly shifting away from him. The sudden relief Sirius felt was immediately at war with his overwhelming disappointment that Dawn was no longer touching him.  
  
"Sleep all right?" He could hardly believe that calm, quiet murmur was his own voice when inside he was screaming with frustration.  
  
Dawn nodded. "I did. But maybe I should get back to my own dorm? You know, before I land us all in big trouble," she whispered, propping herself up on one elbow.  
  
Sirius had to bite back a groan. Personally, he was already in big trouble, just not the kind she was thinking of. He nodded quickly. Much as he wanted her to stay, her leaving now would be very helpful to him. Though when she leaned over to brush a soft, shy kiss to his cheek, feeling much more awkward than she had the pervious morning with James, Sirius' senses went haywire. It was all he could do not to turn his head, catch her lips with his, slam her shoulders back against the mattress and...  
  
No! Bad thoughts! He caught himself just in time.

**Think un-sexy thoughts. Think un-sexy thoughts. Think un-sexy thoughts.**  
  
He sat up, careful to bunch the covers up around his waist as he did so. With a small, girlish smile, Dawn stole from the room, her jeans in her hand. The door shut behind her with a little click. The room was still and quiet.  
  
"Oh bloody hell," Sirius moaned, disentangling himself from his damp sheets and bolting for the privacy of the bathroom.

* * *

**As always, I adore your questions, comments and suggestions, so keep 'em coming! Anoron**


	7. May It Be

_**DISCLAIMER**: You know I don't own it. You know I don't own much of anything, so what would be the point in trying to sue anyway, hmm?  
  
**A/N**: Ok, I'm really sorry it took me over twice the usual amount of time to update this chapter, but I have been absolutely SWAMPED with uni work and 'work' work, so I've had to confine my writing to stolen moments in the office and while waiting for the bus. Thanks for the patience and support [ducks the various heavy objects that come flying from the readers] and I really hope I'll be bale to get back to this much more quickly next time. Cheers, Anoron  
  
**REVIEWERS**: I adore you. Thanks so much, keep letting me know what you think!_

_**Christa**, thank you for your email and your review. I sound like a pompous ass but it really does make my day on the occasion that someone like you takes the time and effort to send me an email regarding my work. And the fact that you were full of praise about it? Well, you were just my favouritest person ever on the day this came into my inbox, let me tell ya! I was so ecstatic to read that you think my characterization of Peter in particular is accurate, it is very difficult to be sure of him for exactly the reasons you mentioned. And oh yeah, Dawn will be learning much more for herself about balancing her courage and her softer side, I'm hoping in later chapters to keep her development true to her character as we all know and love her from the show. Yeah, you heard 'sequel' all right, and I will try not to take so long to keep on updating in future, it's just that uni is at the business end of semester and I'm swamped beyond belief. But I do have a very strong plan on both this story and its sequel, even have a couple of miscellaneous scenes from early in the sequel penned so it should pop up in a relatively decent amount of time. (If you wanted a sneak preview of one of the opening scenes to K2M2 just email again and I'd be happy to send a scene or two your way). I don't know why you should be thanking me for putting this out there, I think it would be much more fitting if I thanked YOU for reading it, and for taking the time to respond in the way you did. All the best, I hope you keep reading and enjoying!  
  
**Sonofgloin** A donkey, I ask you, dwarf-boy? If I didn't adore all my reviewers, I'd think about having you committed for that insanity- you can't fit a donkey on a broomstick (my own random psychosis- disregard)! Seriously though, thanks for it all and keep on reviewing you know I live and die by it!  
  
**Beldaran** Glad you enjoy the Sirius sweetness, hopefully this will satisfy your sweet tooth for Padfoot! And that was a really, really bad 'Sirius' pun, wasn't it? I apologise for that one, please don't stop reviewing over it, I'll never do it again I swear! :-/  
  
**Mademoiselle Morte:** LOL, glad you're enjoying. You might also like 'Harry Potter and the Key of Dagon' by DonSample, which can be found under Dawn/General in the Harry Potter section of Twisting the Hellmouth (www.tthfanfic.com) Or Echo's 'Life of Brian' under Dawn/Draco (same website) if you're just a tad more adventurous (it's a pretty A/U, but still well worth the read if you can stomach the Snapeness). 'Key of Dagon' is one of my absolute favourites, it's a very strong story, so hopefully you would enjoy it as well. As far as Dawn/Marauders, though, I'm proud to say I think I'm it!  
  
**Kiara Zzyopen:** Patience, Kiara. I know it's dead set obvious that Dawn and Sirius will get together, but don't the things we have to wait and work for often seem more rewarding in the end? I swear I'll make it worth it no matter what things seem between now and then! In the meantime, I hope a truckload of flirting and sexual tension will be enough to tide you over.  
  
**Allen Pitt:** You're not wrong on your Spike of this world theory, which is one of the reasons I'm not sure if I'll be able to include him in the story. (Although I'm becoming more and more curious about trying that by the day.) And it would take a lot more study for Dawn to have sufficient control over her abilities to perform a re-souling spell on him, but eventually she'd be able to manage no probs, of course. But it would probably be cruel to do it to him, I think, if he did not choose to regain his soul. It's my opinion that they don't call what the Romany gypsies did to Angel a 'curse' for no reason. It's a pain I don't see Dawn willing to inflict on someone she cares for (even if it is really his evil alter-ego from another dimension) ;-) Presume that (for once in his life) Dumbledore is telling the whole truth that it isn't in his power to return Dawn to her original world, and he has exhausted all his avenues in the search. And as for Dawn thinking of research... read on, hopefully this chapter will give also you an inkling as to what storylines are developing above and beyond the Dawn/Sirius relationship that is developing much more in the foreground than I had anticipated. On the 'back home' front, I suppose you're right, Willow would be heavy on the research, and I guess Buffy would be beating everything that moves for information too, but I'm not going there. If Dumbledore can't find a way back, maybe they can't find a way through? But what I want to discover is how Dawnie does without the safety net of the Scoobies, what sort of niche she creates for herself now that she has the chance (well, I've given her no other choice!) to stand on her own. And Lucius... Dawn's faced a lot of scary things, but never a human with a soul who happens to be a complete asshole. She doesn't quite understand what's going on here (why do men hit and hurt women just because they can?), and as we've seen on the show, even Buffy has to struggle to grasp the situation when faced with a human evil such as rape (season 6- Seeing Red). Angry Dawn is definitely a dangerous Dawn, but she only really becomes that as season 6 & 7 wear on, and I'm still going for her trying to find her feet. She will have her moment of power against Lucius I promise, but she's got to be ready for it first. Ok, hope that at least partially answered your questions (did I mention how much I love all the thought and effort you spare for my work?- special thanks to you Allen)  
  
**Crys:** Sorry it took so long- more assignments than days in the last fortnight!  
  
**CL:** Again, sorry, updated quick as I could!  
  
**Alex:** Well I don't know if I should feel honoured that my fairly ordinary story managed to keep you so mildly entertained that you felt the need to review, or if I should just launch into sarcastic comebacks, so I might just skip it altogether. I'd appreciate a few suggestions on how to make this story extraordinary next time you review (should you find it worth your time), if you wouldn't mind.  
  
**Charlotte:** Thanks for all your enthusiasm, I hope this offering after its way-too-long wait doesn't disappoint.  
  
**Vld:** You're right about the company Dawn's kept in the past, they are some pretty powerful beings she's faced and on the surface so it does make sense that she shouldn't be scared of a freak like Malfoy on a power trip. But I was going for that whole power struggle where Dawn doesn't know how to handle this situation- this isn't a monster or a demon hurting her, this is a person and she doesn't really understand how and why Lucius is doing what he's doing. It's a riff of the whole 'battered women's syndrome', or that's what I was going for, anyway. Am I making any kind of sense? I'm probably not, but I have a chattering five year old sitting on my lap so I am having trouble giving straight answers. Sorry. Am glad you like it other than the Malfoy issue, though!  
  
**RoseWill**: You have to work later for reading it? Must be the influence of my writing it, because every chapter I knock out leads to another all-nighter for some assignment that I've neglected in the meantime (and tonight will be no different grimaces) Thanks for the words of support, I do try and mix it up so you get a bit of everything to keep the chapters fresh, and good luck with the piling up work (  
  
**Jillian:** Oh wow you are so supportive!! Thanks! I'm glad you're loving it (I'm kinda loving every second I get to spend with this story, too) and I will work doubly hard so I don't disappoint what you've come to expect in future chapters. In the meantime, here's that wolfishness 'outing' you couldn't wait for... enjoy!  
  
**Rachel:** Thanks for the encouragement and the advice, the smut- factor will definitely go up in later chapters. I'm just trying to hone my style in on something which will hopefully turn out to be a nice blend of taste and smut... I'm going to trust in your honesty when those scenes pop up to keep me on the right track. Ah, I hope Dawn will figure Lucius out soon, I'm betting if her friends knew what was going on there'd be no chance to continue the Malfoy line... oooh, tempting. All I can say is wait and see. And wait some more, I've got a few chapter plans up my sleeve between now and the climax of that little story arc. Keep R&Ring, I adore your time & feedback.  
  
**EllandrahSylver:** Ok, first I just have to say thanks for the word 'reprobate'. Never thought I'd find a word for troublemaker that I like almost as much as 'degenerate'! And I know I was inexcusably mean to poor Sirius at the end of last chapter, but he does need to learn to tread carefully, or he might hurt her, you're right about that. I just hope for his sake he's a fast learner. Glad you're liking the James/Lily riff, turns out they're not as easy to write as a decent love/hate pairing as I'd presumed! And you've opened my eyes to a whole new possibility for a scene I'd already done when you mentioned Dawn's perspective on James and Peter not sharing their Animagus secrets. That's precisely why I love your reviews, they help me make this the best I possibly can. So big thanks.  
  
**Kat:** You rock Kat! You just mentioned all my favourite parts of the story, it makes me happy to know people are appreciating the same scenes I am. And now, here's a bit of a Remus moment for you... let me know how it's turned out! Although I do have to apologise that after his moment he has to go away for a while- poor sick little werewolf.  
  
**Eleclya111:** Here's your full moon... enjoy! And BTW- I have a feeling the chocolate cake scene from two chapters ago will remain my favourite for quite a while yet. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to be able to top the image of two hormonal teens wrestling in food. Chocolaty food, at that!  
  
**Ann-Marie:** Thanks, I am trying hard to get the Marauders' characters down, good to know it seems to be working for you so far. And I'm glad you like this version of Dawn, I was worried she wouldn't be all that likeable because she's a bit on the delicate side. I'm still committing nothing more than a 'we'll see' about Spike, and I'm not sure with his 'total evil badass state' if I can write him to see his Niblet as anything more than a snack... but again, we'll see. Reviews and suggestions inspire me... hint, hint.  
  
**taco**: Sorry I took so long to update, it really was unavoidable. Just know that while I couldn't type I was editing my butt off and working on making this chapter the best it could possibly be. Hope you enjoy, hope it's worth the ridiculously long wait.  
  
**Lunawolf:** Lunawolf, thanks for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying. (Especially Sirius' mantra, I wrote that at the bus stop at uni and burst out laughing when it came to me, so now all the people who catch my bus think I'm psycho! Totally worth it, though!) As for your requests and questions, well, we'll see. I'm trying to figure Spike into it, as I've had a lot of people express an interest for seeing him, but I'm not sure if it is in fact workable. Yeah, Willow did the resurrection spell on Buffy, but I'm not planning on bringing the Scoobies into this (in any conventional way, anyway) so just presume that Willow wasn't able to find a way to get through to this dimension. And don't you worry about Malfoy- one day he will get what's coming to him, I promise! (  
  
**(M)/ hi wave:** Well I feel like a horse's butthole because I can't figure out which (M) I've got here and I don't wanna offend if I'm wrong. Gimme a clue? Please? But in any event I am so glad you love my work, I really love hearing that. It's kinda the reason I post at all! Sorry I took so damn long to update, stupid interfering uni. (  
  
and now , on with the show (bout bloody time, I know!)_   
  
CHAPTER SIX  
  
"You mind if I sit here?"  
  
Dawn looked up from her book in surprise. With the full moon riding high in the black sky and her friends all missing in action, she had expected to spend the evening in a solitary state. Although, she smiled to herself, it was almost worth it when she thought of how James, Sirius and Peter had all suddenly jumped up soon after sunset, all needing to use the bathroom and had never returned.  
  
"Go ahead Isabel," Dawn said warmly, offering her dorm mate the seat next to her. She's never had the chance to really talk to the other girls she roomed with, but they'd always seemed friendly enough. Even if they were a little on the vague side of things, in Dawn's opinion.  
  
Isabel smiled as she sat down, shaking her short blond hair out of her face. The two girls began reading their books, for the moment enjoying the companionable silence. After a while, Isabel flipped her book closed and craned her neck in an attempt to see what Dawn was reading. "Whatcha reading?"  
  
Dawn showed her the cover of her 'Charms for Beginners' book with a grimace that Isabel countered with a sympathetic smile.  
  
"You?" Dawn asked.  
  
Isabel held out a very old, and worn, but much loved copy of 'The Lord of the Rings' for Dawn to see. "You ever read it? It's my favourite."  
  
Dawn shook her head. "Nah, never got around to reading the book. Saw the movies though, they were awesome."  
  
Isabel frowned. "What's a movie?"  
  
"Muggle entertainment," Dawn supplied, frowning to herself. There was a question she'd never been asked before! "Moving pictures on a screen that tell the story. Which is helpful because they had subtitles to translate all the elvish," she added as an afterthought.  
  
"Cool," Isabel grinned. "I'll have to find some way to see it."  
  
The two girls found themselves deep in conversation, discussing everything from the merits of both reading books and watching them translated into movies, their favourite characters, and the major differences they'd found existed between the two versions of the story. Dawn's Charms book lay forgotten on the floor beside her.  
  
"I nearly did a victory dance when Eowyn killed the Wraith King,," Dawn confessed with a giggle. That scene had been so 'Buffy' that she had almost choked on her soda when she watched it.  
  
"I know what you mean," Isabel agreed with a laugh warming her brown eyes. "Eowyn is probably my favourite character, I was so glad she ended up with Faramir."  
  
"She got with Faramir?" Dawn asked, clearly surprised. They hadn't gone into that in detail in the movie.  
  
"Mm-hmm," Isabel confirmed, glancing down at Dawn's Charms book. "So- 'Charms for Beginners', huh? You really that bad?"  
  
"Worse," Dawn admitted. "I need all the help I can get, and it probably didn't do me any good to go getting into a loud public argument with my now ex-tutor," she reflected.  
  
"Yeah we all heard about that," Isabel snickered. "Lils was fuming for hours. There was so much steam pouring out of her ears I thought she'd taken a Pepper-Up Potion!"  
  
Dawn laughed at that. She decided that she really liked Isabel, perhaps she wasn't as vague as Dawn had presumed. She was certainly funny, in any event. The two girls chattered away for a while longer, before gathering their long forgotten books and heading up to the dorm for sleep.  
  
Dawn was smiling as she drifted off to sleep that night, pleased that she might have actually made as new friend. She'd never exactly found it easy, fitting in, when she was a human-shaped ball of mystical energy. So being able to count five whole people as friends of her very own was actually a big deal for Dawn.  
  
She was smiling when she went to sleep, but it was an entirely different story when she awoke, trembling and crying over yet another violent nightmare. She didn't know how many more nights of sleep broken by the bloodied, lifeless images of her mother and sister she could stand. She wanted James, she wanted Sirius, they would hold her and protect her and chase all her bad dreams away. They were both good at that, Dawn reminded herself, ignoring the slight squirm of pleasure she felt at the thought of herself wrapped snugly in Sirius' arms. Or she could talk to Remus and he would say something smart and sweet like he always did, something that would brighten her outlook in an instant. Hell, at this rate she'd even settle for one of Peter's pathetic hugs. The poor boy really did have no clue about... anything, really. He was even more awkward and uncomfortable than Spike when it came to the hugging thing, but his heart was in the right place.  
  
She swung open the door to the boys' dorm and stopped dead at the sight of the empty room that greeted her. For a moment she thought she must've gone to the wrong dorm by mistake, but there was James' prized Shooting Star, and the pile of clothing Sirius had worn the day before, right where he left them in a crumpled mess on the floor. And yet his sheets had been changed, his bed made crisp and new for some reason which Dawn couldn't quite understand. None of the other boys looked to have had their sheets changed.  
  
"Where are they?" Dawn wondered aloud, sitting on the end of Sirius' freshly made bed. Then, she slapped herself on the forehead. "Moron," she told herself. "Full moon, it lasts all night!"  
  
Faint frown lines creased Dawn's forehead as several questions popped into her head. Questions she probably should have thought of earlier. So the full moon explained why Remus was absent. But why weren't the others there? Why had they all run off together, now that she really thought about it? They weren't werewolves, they couldn't be with Remus while he was in wolf mode, it was physically impossible... unless...  
  
It struck Dawn so obviously then that she almost laughed out loud. They all had animalistic names for each other. Moony the werewolf, Padfoot the dog. Prongs and Wormtail, well she'd have to think about those, but it all made such perfect sense now. Animal nicknames for boys who could become animals. If werewolf bites and scratches were only affecting to humans, then the other boys could keep Remus company safely as animals. Awesome.  
  
Even as her body fell back against the mattress and her eyes started to close, it occurred to Dawn that she probably should go back to her own dorm so they boys could slip back in un-noticed in the morning. Then again, she had a bone to pick with two of them in particular, about forcing her to share her big secrets, all the while conveniently forgetting to mention they had one or two of their own. The rats.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to stay in the hospital wing, Moony?" James asked as he and Sirius helped their sick friend up the stairs to their dorm.  
  
Remus shook his head. "Nah. Don't feel so bad this time, and I'd prefer my own bed, you know how it is."  
  
Peter pushed open the door , and they all stepped inside before he closed it behind them. Peter turned around and bumped right into the backs of his friends, who had stopped dead in their tracks. He edged around to see what the hold-up was, only to see Dawn curled up at the foot of Sirius' bed, fast asleep.  
  
"Damn, knew I should've stayed up her last night," Sirius joked, as he moved over to wake the girl. James was muttering something under his breath about the House-Elves having better things to do than change his dirty sheets every single morning, but no-one seemed to be listening to him.  
  
Sirius was leaned over Dawn, touching her cheek lightly. "Hey, Kitten. Wake up, it's morning."  
  
Dawn rolled over slightly, her eyes opening part way so she could glance blearily up at Sirius. "Is Remus ok?" she murmured.  
  
Sirius blinked at the half-conscious girl, a sinking feeling dropping his stomach somewhere in the vicinity of his knees. "Huh?"  
  
"Werewolf transformation- painful," she said through a yawn. "Is he ok?"  
  
"What?" a new voice asked, trembling with fear. Remus' amber eyes, dull with his illness, had widened, his pale face was near-terrified. How had she...?  
  
Dawn's eyes flew wide open all of a sudden and her hand clapped over her mouth. Sirius jumped back in alarm at the sudden movements of the girl who'd been only partially conscious a second before. She scrambled to her feet, her wide eyes fixed squarely on Remus over the hand still covering her mouth.  
  
It fell away, revealing an apologetic grimace. "Oops. Me and my big mouth," she winced. "I'm sorry!"  
  
James, Sirius and Peter had all become as still as statues, but Remus took a shaky step forwards, more to gauge her reaction than anything else. To his relief, she did not recoil in horror. On the contrary, she stepped forwards herself, steadily closing the gap between them.  
  
"How did you know?" Remus choked out, forcing himself to hold her gaze and resist the temptation to send accusing glares in the direction of his fellow Marauders. For all he knew, it could've been one of them that spilt his secret. They'd never do such a thing on purpose, that was not even a question for Remus, but Peter was pretty tactless, and who knew what sorts of things James and Sirius had whispered in Dawn's ear while they were comforting her in the middle of the night?  
  
The barest hint of a smirk was crossing Dawn's face. "Sorry, _Moony_. But as far as werewolves go, you're not my first."  
  
"How long...?" Remus asked faintly.  
  
"I've known since the moment I set eyes on you, back in the Hospital Wing that morning," Dawn admitted, correctly interpreting the full meaning of his half-asked question. "I just didn't want to confront you before you were ready to talk about it. I know how painful it can be- having your deepest, darkest secrets forced out of you," she said quietly, her eyes never once straying from Remus'. Behind her, Sirius ducked his head guiltily to avoid James' pointed glare. He really had acted like a world class prat about her whole 'key' deal.  
  
By now, Remus was smiling slightly. He couldn't help it, Dawn's gaze was so warm and friendly he almost felt silly for ever doubting he could trust her with his secret. After all, she had trusted him whole-heartedly from the moment they'd become friends. "So you don't mind then?"  
  
"Nah. Not if you don't have a problem with me being a mystical ball of energy with the power to destroy the world," she grinned. "Rem, there is nothing wrong with who you are, and if anybody ever tries to tell you otherwise, I'll kick their asses. Weak little girly girl or not!"  
  
"You'll probably spend the rest of your days kicking asses, then," Remus said sadly. "The wizarding world sees werewolves like me as sub- human, dangerous creatures to be shunned and, where possible, eliminated."  
  
The mixed horrified and offended expressions that clashed across Dawn's face was almost comical and she leaned over to give Remus a hug, something he was eternally grateful for. "Don't ever listen to them," she whispered.  
  
Thanks, Kitten," he murmured back, stifling a yawn.  
  
Dawn pulled away guiltily and started babbling. "Oh I'm sorry. Here you are, all sick and probably just dying to get to sleep, and all I can do is tackle you and babble about secrets and ass-kickings and... I'm doing it again, aren't I? Sorry," she mumbled sheepishly, blushing.  
  
But Remus was grinning broadly at her. "I don't mind at all," he told her truthfully. How could he mind the adorable chatter of such a sweet. Accepting friend. One who was showing such a fierce devotion to him. Dawn just gave a small smile and a gentle suggestion that he get some rest.  
  
Gratefully, Remus collapsed onto his bed, he was out to it an instant later. Dawn turned away from pulling the covers over Remus to find James, Sirius and Peter smiling at her like she'd just handed them a year's supply of dungbombs each.  
  
She shrugged. "What?"  
  
They just kept right on smiling at her. "I can't believe you know another werewolf," Peter finally blurted.  
  
Dawn shrugged again. "There's a lot we don't know about each other," she said pointedly, and her tone had turned just a little frosty, though the boys didn't seem to catch it. Sirius was grinning wolfishly at her words. He wanted to know it all, and he planned on having a lot of fun finding out who Dawn Summers really was.  
  
James shrugged. "What do you wanna know then?" he said nonchalantly.  
  
Dawn levelled a piercing blue stare at him. "How about why you didn't feel it was important enough to mention the fact that both you and Peter are Animagi as well?"  
  
James and Peter shifted guiltily. Sirius arched an eyebrow, kind of curious to watch since he knew he wasn't going to be the one in trouble this time. "It never came up?" James tried.  
  
Dawn frowned at him. "Look, James, I understand why Remus never told me about his secret. And yes, I'm not happy that he didn't feel he could trust me as much as I did him but I can live with it because what he had to hide was really important, and private. You and Peter, on the other hand, stood there and let me pour out every major private aspect of who I am without even considering showing the same kind of trust in me that Sirius did after knowing me for, what, two days? That's not fair."  
  
Both the scolded boys hung their heads a little in shame. It was not so much the quiet words Dawn spoke that affected them, but the ever-so- slightly betrayed look that had crossed her face that they really didn't want to see, even though the knew they were the cause of it.  
  
"We're sorry, Kitten," James said. "We really should have shown we trusted you more. Would you like to see our animal forms?" he offered as a peace gesture.  
  
Dawn accepted what James was offering, her hurt somewhat abated. She smiled slightly, to let them know everything would be ok between them. "Wait- can I try to guess first?"  
  
Both the boys grinned, knowing they were off the hook. "Ok. Me first," Peter squeaked.  
  
"Right. Wormtail... something with a tail, and a little one at that if it looks like a worm. Rodent of some kind?" Dawn tried.  
  
Peter blinked at her, then he smiled. An instant later, he had transformed into a fat, dark rat.  
  
"Oh wow! I so wish I could introduce you to Amy!" Dawn blurted, picking Wormtail up and petting him for a minute. She gently deposited him on his bed and turned to James.  
  
"Ok then, Prongs," she mused. "Something with antlers, I guess? Oh, I know- a deer!" she exclaimed loudly.  
  
James made an offended noise and Sirius snorted at him.  
  
"Or possibly the male version, which would be a stag," Dawn amended hastily, with an apologetic grin at James.  
  
James sent her a look that clearly said her second go was much better, before he transformed into his Animagus form, a large, handsome stag. Dawn's eyes lit up at the sight, and she ran a hand down the length of Prongs' nose, before beginning to trace the impressive line of his antlers with his fingers.  
  
She heard a slight whining, felt something pressing into her side, and looked down to see Padfoot butting his head gently into her hip. Prongs gave an animalistic snort, the stag equivalent of laughter, when Dawn instantly turned her attention to the big black dog. She kept a close watch on Padfoot as she scratched behind his ears, though, lest he tried to pull the same stunt he had back in the Leaky Cauldron. Given her recently developed schoolgirl crush and all, Dawn was pretty sure she'd die of embarrassment if Padfoot suddenly reverted to Sirius with her hands all over him.  
  
Finally, the boys resumed their usual forms.  
  
"Well I should let you guys get some sleep," Dawn said, glancing down at herself still only dressed in her nightie. "And I really should, um, put some clothes on and go do my Charms homework."  
  
"I'll help you with it," Sirius said quickly. "I'm not tired."  
  
James caught Peter's eye and they both grinned while Dawn stumbled over the suggestion that they meet in the Common Room in twenty minutes. The two boys went straight to bed, while Dawn headed for her own dorm and Sirius went to have a quick shower.

* * *

They sat in the shade of a large beech tree, not far from the lake, the remains of a picnic breakfast scattered about them. Sirius had also nabbed a teacup from the Great Hall, which he set on the cover of Dawn's textbook.  
  
"Ok, give it a go," he said lazily, leaning back against the trunk of the tree to watch.  
  
Dawn shifted into a cross-legged position, all her attention focused on the teacup before her. She said the spell, but when she waved her wand, the cup sprouted the same ugly orange wings it had back in class.  
  
"Oh bugger."  
  
Sirius burst out laughing. Dawn gave him a baleful look. "It's not that funny," she told him.  
  
"No," Sirius grinned. "You said bugger!"  
  
Dawn sighed and rolled her eyes. It was only a matter of time before she started mixing British English and American English, really. "Butthole," she muttered.  
  
Sirius' only reply was his most charming grin as he waved his own wand, restoring the teacup to its original wingless state. He let her try it herself one more time, producing the same results before he stopped her. He didn't particularly feel like heading all the way up to the kitchens for another cup when this one finally sprouted wings strong enough to carry it away.  
  
"You're putting too much into it," he said gently. "Shorten your wand movements, set your mind on what you want to happen."  
  
Dawn followed his advice, and although she didn't produce wings this time, she barely managed any positive effect on her teacup. She made a frustrated noise, glaring daggers at the teacup as if the force of her steely gaze would somehow convince it to sprout legs.  
  
Sirius couldn't help but chuckle. She was so cute when she was getting cranky. "Come here," he said, patting the ground in front of him. "Let me show you."  
  
Dawn swallowed nervously and scooted around to sit in front of Sirius. She raised her eyebrows, but forced herself to keep quiet as he settled his legs on either side of her body and reached his arms around her. She could practically feel the colour flooding her face and was suddenly grateful that Sirius was behind her rather than in a position to see her red face.  
  
As his right hand settled over hers, wand clutched way too tightly in her grasp, Dawn twisted her head up to look at Sirius. Bad move. Those smooth lips of his were way too distracting when they were only an inch from hers. "Um..." what was she going to say again?  
  
Sirius grinned. It was nice to be back in control. "Yes Dawn?"  
  
"Uh... Lily never taught me like this..."  
  
The grin on Sirius' face morphed into a smirk. "If she had, I would've paid good money to watch."  
  
"Sirius!" Dawn burst out in a scandalised tone, her face, if possible, colouring even further as she whipped her head around to look away from him. She could feel his body shaking with his laughter, the deep sounds reverberating in her ears.  
  
"Might've made Prongs a bit jealous, though."  
  
"My God, is that all you guys think about?" Dawn couldn't help but marvel.  
  
She felt Sirius' shrug. "We're fifteen," he offered by way of explanation.  
  
"Right. How could I forget? So you gonna help me Charm this stupid thing, or what?" Dawn asked, at last remembering how on earth she'd managed to get herself sitting so close to Sirius in the first place.  
  
Sirius adjusted his grip over her hand. "Insulting it won't help any, Kitten. Ok, you've got to give your wand a sharper flick. And relax. Just let it come to you, like you do with Transfiguration."  
  
Dawn closed her eyes and let his hand guide her own. She muttered the spell, felt a burst of power come from her wand, then felt Sirius' hand slide away from hers. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked down at the teacup. It had sprouted two short, thick stumps that could barely qualify as legs.  
  
She groaned. "I'm never going to get this right," she sighed,  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You crammed over four years of magical education into that brain of yours in a month, and now you're whingeing because you're not perfect in one subject? Oh please! You're obviously one of the smartest people in the year, come OWLs, you'll be giving us all a run for our money for sure!" he told her firmly. At some point during his little pep talk, his hands had come up to rest supportively on Dawn's shoulders.  
  
Dawn grinned. Sirius thought she was clever. She could deal with that. She redoubled her efforts, determined now that she would complete the Charm properly. Even if it killed her. Or even if it took forever, and even though Sirius was already falling asleep resting against the tree trunk at the very moment.  
  
It was over an hour later when her teacup possessed legs that finally managed a lap around the base of their tree. She didn't even care that the one lap had taken more than five minutes to complete, and every time the teacup fell down it took several seconds to struggle back onto its dumpy legs. As the teacup lumbered across the makeshift finish line she'd drawn across the grass, Dawn raised her arms in celebration and let out a cheer. Sirius bolted awake.  
  
"What the...?"  
  
Dawn quickly pulled her arms back down to her sides. "Oops. Sorry, Sirius," she said, glancing sheepishly over her shoulder at him.  
  
"S'ok," he yawned, stretching and sitting up properly so he could examine her work. "_That's_ your teacup?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at the stumpiest legs on it he'd ever seen. It really wasn't the prettiest thing ever.  
  
"Yes," Dawn said defensively, looking back at her teacup. "I don't care if it's fat and ugly and slow, and friendless and it probably has really low self-esteem 'cause it's crap. I love you, little dumpy teacup," she said, patting the handle affectionately.  
  
Sirius stared at her in awe. The girl was a mass of contradictions. By morning she was talking about secrets and trust with all the wisdom of an ancient philosopher, and by afternoon she was telling a teacup with bad legs she'd love it despite its self-esteem issues. It stuck him then how right she had been that morning, when she said there was so much they didn't know about each other. Watching her now, cradling her teacup close to her and murmuring baby-talk nonsense to it, it occurred to Sirius how much he really did want to know every little thing there was to know about Dawn Summers.  
  
"Cute," he smirked, still watching her. Dawn just grinned cheekily up at him.  
  
A couple of long shadows fell across the pair. "We're not interrupting anything here, are we?"  
  
Dawn and Sirius looked up to see James and Peter grinning down at them, their eyes twinkling with amusement. Sirius looked awfully comfortable, sprawled out on the grass with Dawn settled between his legs, the look on his face clearly telling the other boys he wished they were up to something worth interrupting. Dawn's forehead creased in concentration as she strained to figure out what James and Peter found so amusing, and why they'd felt the need to ask if they were interrupting something.  
  
"No, we're finished," she said slowly, gesturing to her legged teacup.  
  
"Right then," James chuckled, marvelling at her naivety as he and Peter threw themselves down on the grass. He studied the fruits of Dawn's morning of labour, still chuckling. Her teacup's legs were even worse than the feeble ones Peter had managed. Dawn noticed the negative attention her work was getting and pouted.  
  
"I think it's sweet," she said, giving the handle another quick pat.  
  
James squinted at it. "It kinda looks like Wormtail."  
  
Peter went a bit pink as Sirius and Dawn both tilted their heads to the side, looking between him and his teacup look-alike.  
  
"Well that's ok, because I think Peter's sweet, too," Dawn said, shooting a warm grin over to the chubby boy.  
  
Peter went from pink to red, but paled considerably a moment later when he caught the icy glare Sirius was aiming squarely at him, and the almost possessive hand he'd rested on Dawn's waist.  
  
"Isn't it lunchtime, yet?" he squeaked out hastily. "I'm starving, I hate missing breakfast."  
  
The group stood and made their way back into the castle, Dawn with a careful grip on her teacup, seriously considering James' suggestion that she name it. They sat down to a lunch of steak and kidney pie with mashed potato, wondering how they were going to pass their afternoon while Remus slept his lingering werewolf sickness off.  
  
"I know!" James blurted, slapping his hand against the table. "We'll teach Dawnie how to fly!"  
  
"No I don't like flying," Dawn said quickly.  
  
"But you've never even been" Peter countered.  
  
"I don't like heights."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Probably because of that time I was kidnapped by a Hell Goddess and tied at the top of a tower built by people who'd had their minds sucked out, where a demon who once gave me a resurrection spell to bring my mother back to life slashed me open in several places with a very sharp knife, and then I was forced to throw myself from said tower to stop the world from being sucked into hell, only to wake up in alternate dimension with no way home," Dawn deadpanned.  
  
James blinked at her dry delivery, but recovered quickly. "Yeah, but what are the odds of that happening again?"  
  
Dawn's lips twitched for a moment, dangerously close to settling into a smile, before she managed to gain control over her expression. She sighed. "Fine. But if anything goes wrong, I'm going to be very cranky with you," she warned.  
  
"Nothing will happen to you," James swore, then turned to Peter. "Go get all our brooms, and grab Moony's for Dawn will you? Remus won't mind."  
  
Peter jumped up obediently, but Dawn's voice calling out slowed him down. "Hey Peter? Can you take Newman and my book up please? And be careful with Newman. He's fragile."  
  
Peter scurried off, leaving James and Sirius staring at Dawn and looking thoroughly bewildered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Newman, I ask you?" Sirius said.  
  
"Yeah. You know, Newman, like from Sienfeld? 'Hello Jerry'/'Hello Newman'," Dawn grinned proudly. She thought it was the perfect fitting for her unfortunate little teacup. Still, Sirius and James were staring blankly at her.  
  
Dawn's face fell. So this is what it felt like to be Anya?

* * *

"Put your right hand over the broom and say 'up'," James instructed.  
  
Ever so cautiously, Dawn extended her hand over the broom lying on the ground beside her. "Up?"  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"Don't ask it- tell it," James advised.  
  
"Up..."  
  
Still no response. Dawn tried again and again, but her broom simply rolled over and over on the ground, getting no closer to jumping into her hand.  
  
Peter looked proudly at the broom that had jumped just high enough for him to grasp on the third try. "I can almost always get it in three goes now," he whispered happily to Sirius, who smiled indulgently at him.  
  
"That's great Wormtail," he whispered back.  
  
Dawn was glaring at the unresponsive broom. Her eyes glittered harshly like daggers, her cheeks were tinged just a little pink and her lip was twitching suspiciously like it wanted to curl into a snarl.  
  
"Up."  
  
"You've got to sound like you mean it," James said patiently. Dawn bit her lip to keep from snapping at him.  
  
"Oh, up!"  
  
"Don't sound so impatient, either."  
  
Dawn flashed a thoroughly annoyed look at James. First he was telling her to boss the stupid overgrown twig about, now he wanted her to be more polite to it? She wished he'd make his mind up already, wasn't as if she even wanted to fly the damn thing- Dawn much preferred her two feet right where they were, planted firmly on the ground.  
  
"Up?"  
  
"Up."  
  
"Up!"  
  
"UP!"  
  
James sighed. "You're not listening to a word I've said, are you Kitten?"  
  
And for only the second time since she'd come to Hogwarts, Dawn truly lost her temper. She rounded on James, glaring at him with every little bit of her that remembered she had a Slayer's blood coursing through her veins. James was suddenly very tempted to be quiet and edge away.  
  
"Look, James, I don't even want to take part in this ridiculous stereotype anyway. And every time I try to do what you tell me, you say I'm doing it wrong. So if you don't either drop it completely, or start explaining things a bit better, I'm going to shove this stupid broom right up-" Dawn stopped in shock as the broom suddenly jumped up into the hand she hadn't even realised was still outstretched.  
  
Peter and Sirius doubled over, laughing. James held Dawn's stare, his eyes twinkling madly, his grin so wide his face was sure to crack at any moment. Dawn just looked sheepishly up at him, broomstick clutched tightly in her hand, and James started to laugh in earnest.  
  
"You know," Dawn said, trying and failing to hide her own amusement. "Not very nice to laugh, especially now that I have the weapon I was threatening you with actually in my hands."  
  
A loud snort escaped James at this, and he arched an eyebrow. "Very intimidating, Kitten. Try it again without the mad giggling," he suggested.  
  
When their amusement had passed, James showed Dawn how to mount the broom and grip it properly so she wouldn't slide off the end. Soon he had her hovering a couple of feet off the ground.  
  
"You can go a little higher," James urged her after a minute. "Just lean back a bit, pull up."  
  
"I think this is high enough, thanks," Dawn responded, feeling that an altitude of about eight feet was just right for her.  
  
Sirius reached up and tweaked the hem of her jeans. Dawn squealed and latched even more tightly onto the broomstick. "Don't do that," she gasped, looking startled. Sirius just grinned and reached up again.  
  
"Stop me."  
  
Dawn had no choice but to rise a few feet out of the range of Sirius' reach, scowling at him the whole time. The boys all rose up beside her on their own brooms and began showing Dawn how to manoeuvre the broom properly. She didn't notice that as they picked up speed and complexity in their movements, they also gained altitude.  
  
Then she looked down.  
  
"Oh my God!"  
  
"What's the matter?" Sirius asked, flying close beside her. She'd been doing pretty well until a moment ago.  
  
"Look how high we are!" Dawn shrieked. They'd risen above the topmost tiers of the spectator stands in the Quidditch stadium.  
  
"We've been up this high for the past fifteen minutes, so what are you so stressed about? Nothing's changed in the last thirty seconds," James said logically from her other side.  
  
"Yes it has," Dawn insisted. "Now I know how very high I am and I'm completely wigging out!"  
  
"You shouldn't have looked down," Peter called up from just a little ways below them. "I've learned never to look down."  
  
"You didn't tell me not to!" Dawn burst out.  
  
Sirius shrugged. "If we had, you only would have wanted to look down just to find out why we said not to."  
  
Dawn had absolutely no comeback to that one. She pouted. "How do I get down?"  
  
James explained that going lower was simply the opposite to going higher: instead of pulling up, all she needed to do was push down and she'd get back to solid ground. But instead of guiding the broom down, Dawn leaned forwards and the broom shot off like a rocket over the tops of the stands, heading for the Forbidden Forest.  
  
Suddenly, Dawn took a sharp descent and plummeted out of sight; the boys could hear the piercing screams of terror and took off after her.  
  
She tumbled to the ground, rolling roughly off the broomstick. She lay on her back on the grass, the wind knocked out of her, trying to figure out if she'd done any worse damage to herself than just bumps and bruises. When she was pretty sure it was only her pride that was seriously wounded, she started grumbling to herself. "Stupid broom, stupid gravity. Never flying again. Gonna kill James, and how come only Buffy ever gets to land on her feet?"  
  
A massive shadow appeared above Dawn and the she was blocked from the sunlight. She tilted her head up, but could only make out the silhouette of absolutely the largest being she'd ever laid eyes on. Wincing, Dawn managed to stand, her eyes finally able to study what was towering above her. If it wasn't a giant, she didn't know what in hell was. At least twice as tall as Dawn, and five times as wide, the giant peered down at her with solid black eyes barely visible, twinkling amongst a forest of facial hair.  
  
At his side was a slobbering dog, which stood almost as tall as Dawn itself. It whined as it cocked its head and stared at Dawn, who was reminded forcibly of Padfoot's behaviour when he'd first sensed the Key in her.  
  
"Yeh alright there, luv?" the giant's voice boomed.  
  
Dawn eeped and almost fell right back down in fear.  
  
Through his beard, Dawn could see him frowning. "Yeh're not hurt, then?"  
  
Dawn's neck muscles spasmed, which the giant must've as a response to indicate that she was ok, though he was still frowning at her. "Quite one, aren't yeh?" he said, with a deep rumbled Dawn could only assume was a forced chuckle.  
  
She nodded her head slightly. Yes. Yes, suddenly very, very quiet. Lost her voice completely, in fact. The three boys finally landed their broomsticks and came pelting across the grass towards them.  
  
"Dawnie, you ok?"  
  
Dawn just backed up against Sirius, her wide eyes still fixed on the mountain of a man before her. Sirius grinned up at him over Dawn's shoulder.  
  
"Hey Hagrid."  
  
"'Ello, you three," Hagrid said warmly. "What're you lot up to?"  
  
"Nothing," James said innocently. "Just a little flying lesson for Dawnie here... didn't work out too well in the end I guess. Oh, Hagrid, this is our friend Dawn Summers. Kitten, this is Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts," the messy-haired boy introduced.  
  
"Hi," Dawn barely managed in a voice easily as squeaky as Peter's. Tall, tall friend of theirs. Keeper of Keys, whatever that meant. She was a Key, of course, but she didn't think that meant he was supposed to keep her. That massive dog there was probably enough of a pet for him, anyway.  
  
"Lovely ter meet yer, Dawn," Hagrid said with such warmth that Dawn could begin to picture him as a great cuddly teddy-bear. A gigantic one. "This lot 'ere've told me all bout yer o' course. How're yer liking Hogwarts?"  
  
"I love it," Dawn gushed. "It's like nothing else I've ever seen, that's for sure..." she twisted her head as she finished answering the question, shooting a questioning glance of her own up at Sirius. How come she'd had no clue Hagrid existed, but her friends had somehow managed to find time to tell him all about her? It hardly seemed fair.  
  
"We used to come down and visit Hagrid sometimes while you were studying with Lily," Sirius explained. Dawn nodded, but had become a little distracted, busy staring at the enormous boarhound, still slobbering and whining and staring quizzically at her while James scratched behind his ears.  
  
"This is Fang," James told her, seeing her attention fixed on the hound. As if he'd been waiting for his cue, Fang took a step towards Dawn. Dawn stiffened, and she could see Peter shifting nervously out of the corner of her eye. 'Oh God,' she couldn't help thinking. 'Please don't let it start growling and snarling like Padfoot did.' She was pretty sure this thing could swallow her whole if he so chose.  
  
"Don' worry, Dawn. Fang's friendly," Hagrid assured her.  
  
At that moment, Fang pounced. His paws hit Dawn's shoulders, knocking her back into Sirius, who stumbled under the sudden added weight of both the girl and the dog that weighed about four times as much as her. Fang's large face was right by Dawn's, he opened his monstrous jaws ready to strike, and Dawn could see that his teeth were sharp and inches long. She squeezed her eyes closed. She felt something very much like a warm, slimy fish being passed over her face as the trio crashed to the ground, Fang on top and slurping happily at Dawn's face with his tongue.  
  
"Back, Fang. Back!" Hagrid hollered, hauling his dog off the top of the pile. Dazed by the force of Fang's blow, Dawn rolled into a sitting position, swiping furiously at her now slobber-drenched face.  
  
"I think he likes yer," Hagrid said to Dawn. He was beaming with pleasure at the thought as he easily lifted the two teens to their feet one- handed. Behind him, James was looking highly amused as he was patting Fang and telling him what a 'good dog' he was. Peter's eyes were still a little fear-glazed from the horror of thinking he was about to see two of his friends become dog food right before his eyes.  
  
When she felt she'd regained the capabilities of speech, Dawn shrugged at Hagrid. "I'm a dog person."  
  
"Good to know," said Sirius' smooth voice in her ear. Dawn turned beet red, realising all the very true implications she'd just let slip with her innocently-intended statement.  
  
"How bout a cuppa, eh?" Hagrid said, ushering them all into his cosy little brick hut on the borders of the Forbidden Forest.  
  
They sat around the table of the one-room homestead while Hagrid busied himself setting out the tea and a huge plate of rock cakes that the boys all eyed warily. The moment she slid into a chair, Dawn was startled to find Fang at her side, his head resting in her lap. Dawn's hand lazily petted and scratched Fang's large head, all the while she was oblivious to the way Sirius stared jealously at the dog who had the nerve to put his head on something Sirius only wanted to see himself touching. When he'd poured five cups of tea and passed out the rock cakes (which the boys took only reluctantly) Hagrid began questioning Dawn in a friendly manner.  
  
"So where in America yer from?"  
  
Dawn smiled at her new friend, biting back the multitude of painful memories his innocent question had stirred within her. "From California. My family lived in LA until I was nearly ten, then we spent the last five years in a little town called Sunnydale," she said, hoping that would be enough to satisfy his curiosity.  
  
"Well that sounds nice. Why'd yer leave the city though?" Hagrid continued.  
  
In hoped of buying herself a moment to rein in her feelings enough to answer, Dawn attempted to bite into her rock cake. She hastily masked a grimace as a tiny portion crumbled into her mouth. Geez, had Hagrid used actual rocks in these, or what? The boys were all watching sympathetically as she struggled for composure.  
  
"Well when my parents split, obviously they sold the house so we had to move somewhere. My Mom bought an Art Gallery in Sunnydale, and my sister had just been expelled from her high school, so the three of us went to Sunnydale. I'm not too sure where my Dad went. He spent a little while in San Diego I know, but then he just kind of disappeared."  
  
By this stage, James and Sirius were exchanging worried glances. Dawn didn't like talking about this so much, she'd given this story in bits and pieces to them when she felt she could, and when it came up. The Buffy getting expelled story (James' favourite) they had heard quite early on. James found it hilarious that the muggle school Buffy had gone to was so daft that they couldn't see why the gym full of vampires was just cause for a girl to go burning it down. It had given him all sorts of ideas for setting things on fire, and he couldn't wait to test his new plans out on Snape. But this was starting to become painful for Dawn. They could see it in the way her eyes seemed to be just a shade heavier of blue than usual, and they could hear it in the slightly edgier quality to her normally soft, smooth tones.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear tha'," Hagrid said kindly, before obliviously continuing his line of questioning. "So was yer family pleased to hear yer a witch?"  
  
Dawn visibly flinched. They didn't know she was a witch. They'd never know she was a witch. They'd never no lots of things, because they weren't there. They weren't going to be there for the rest of her life.  
  
"They don't know," she said mournfully, gratefully squeezing the hand Sirius had just slid into hers. "Mom died of a brain tumour several months ago, and with everything that happened after that, Buffy and I were separated and now I can't get back to her. I was never actually invited to Hogwarts, Hagrid. I just sort of... found myself here."  
  
A couple of tears huge enough to fill a shot glass leaked down into Hagrid's beared. He took out a spotted handkerchief Dawn was certain had originally been a tablecloth and blew his nose loudly. James clapped him supportively on the shoulder.  
  
"C'mon Hagrid. Chin up," he said patiently.  
  
"It's jus' so sad," Hagrid sobbed. "Are yeh sure Dumbledore can't find yer sister, Dawn? Great man he is..."  
  
Dawn shook her head, trying to remain calm herself and not quite sure if Sirius' hand rubbing hers was a help or hindrance in this department. But there was no good in getting herself all worked up over memories, she knew, but by the same token, nobody knew better than her that pain took its own sweet time to fade. "He tried," she whispered. "He said he couldn't find a way to get me back to Buffy..."  
  
James, Peter and Sirius watched the emotions flitting across her face as Dawn's sentence flickered and died. The forlorn look froze. Her forehead creased in thought. Her head tilted to the side, as if she was studying the pieces of a puzzle laid out before her. Finally, her eyes widened in realisation.  
  
"Two Buffys," she breathed. "One there... one here."  
  
It was only on the way back up to the castle, juggling Remus' broom and the stack of Hagrid's terrible rock cakes she hadn't the heart to refuse, that Dawn started babbling excitedly to her friends about her little epiphany.  
  
"I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner," Dawn said, bouncing along excitedly. "I mean, I sat there in Defence and listened all about Angel and Spike and all that being in this dimension, and I remember thinking how there's no Slayers in this world. But that doesn't mean there's no _Buffy_, does it?" she grinned expectantly up at her friends.  
  
Peter smiled back. He wasn't quite sure exactly what she meant, but amongst all the overexcited babble he was pretty sure he'd managed to catch the gist of it. James and Sirius, however, were exchanging concerned glances. Sure, if this went well it could chase all Dawn's demons away for good. But if it went badly, it would probably destroy her. It was a pretty big gamble. Dawn's grin broke down a little when she saw that the two of her friends she felt the closest to weren't exactly sharing in her joy.  
  
"What's the matter? Aren't you guys happy for me?" she asked, sobering up somewhat, a little upset by their lacklustre reactions.  
  
Sirius just gave her a look, a little annoyed that he couldn't figure out a way to give her a reassuring hug around all the brooms and rock cakes their arms were laden with. "Of course we're glad you might be able to see Buffy again. But Dawn... haven't you thought that maybe... I mean, have you considered the possibility..." his sentences trailed into nothingness, he couldn't quite bring himself to be the one to dent her hopes.  
  
Dawn bit her lip, suddenly looking much younger and even more vulnerable than usual. "You mean, have I considered the possibility that I'm wrong? That there really is no Buffy Summers here? And even if there is, what are the odds of her being the sister I know? And that there's no chance in hell she would have a clue who I even was? Yeah, it's crossed my mind Sirius. But I have to know for sure. Please..." her big blue eyes pleaded with Sirius, and he was sunk.  
  
"Of course we'll find your sister, Kitten."  
  
Dawn squealed and did a little excited dance, dropping a couple of the dreaded rock cakes in the process. "Oh, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!"  
  
"And you tried to tell us you couldn't dance," James remarked, deftly snatching up the fallen rock cakes. He weighed them in his hand, his eyes scanning the scores of students littering the halls, as if searching for a target.  
  
Without warning, he pelted both the rock cakes he held in quick succession. They hurtled through the air like cannonballs and easily found their mark. The first bounced off the back of Severus Snape's greasy head, the second exploded on impact, crumbling and clinging to the oily strands of hair. The three boys roared with laughter as Snape whirled around to search for the culprits.  
  
"James Potter!" Dawn reprimanded, completely shocked that he would do such a thing without any provocation whatsoever.  
  
James tried in vain to choke back his laughter. "Oops," he said unconvincingly.

* * *

**Well, there it is. Worth the wait or not? Either way, we've got some direction in the plot now, so at least there's a slight possibility of something remotely interesting happening soon, I guess! R&R (please?) Anoron**


	8. 3AM

**Disclaimer:** I still own nothing from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, because I don't look like Joss Whedon. Haven't been successful in changing my name to JK Rowling, either, so alas I have no claim to the Harry Potter line. I don't even get to lay claim to the soundtrack for this chapter. 3AM by Matchbox Twenty comes from the pure beauty that is the mind of Rob Thomas, and Don't Cry (Guns N' Roses) is the product of the lyrical genius that is Axl Rose.  
  
**A/N:** A certain someone expressed disappointment that I haven't bothered to name my chapters this fic, so I've reached a compromise. From now on, each chapter will have a 'soundtrack' of sorts. Each chapter will have a song specified at the beginning, and the chapter will either refect the song or contain lyrics from it at some point. Hopefully, both. If I come up with anything for previous chapters, I will make it known, but so far I'm only working on the soundtrack for Chapter 7 onwards.  
  
Just some general notes in response to a few questions and comments from my favouritest people in cyberspace- my reviewers:  
  
I don't know if I'll have Dawn becoming an Animagus kitten- that could get clichéd if I'm not careful. (Do like the idea, though!)  
  
(M) if you know me you should know it's dangerous to piss off a westie chick...  
  
As Dawn would say, assume would make you an ass outta me, or... something. But seriously, as I've said before, don't assume conventional time-frame parallels between the Buffy and Harry Potter universes. Just imagine it was at straight switch between dimensions and none of those icky time constraints I'm so stubbornly ignoring exist, ok?  
  
Am sorry I don't have time to write you all personal notes again, I have my first exam in 2 days so I'm on a bit of a clock here. I just wanted to get this out there since I've finished the chapter (I think it's my longest yet by just a tad) and I'm working on Chapter 8 (spoiler which will have a bump in the road or two for our dear friends) in between studying as we speak. But within two weeks, I promise this fic will have my undivided attention so thank you all so much for your support and patience.  
  
Cheers, Anoron  
  
**The honour roll of my fantastic reviewers. Big thanks! Sonofgloin (most creative review ever!), Kat, Hinomi, Lunawolf, Mademoiselle Morte, (M), Eleclya111, Nicki.Next, Allen Pitt, Ronneem, Christa, Kiara-Zzyopen, RoseWill, Akaalien, Kriss, Karin, Weaver, CL, Taco, Charlie, Gigglygurl, Danceforfreedom, Rogue-Angel82, Meilin Li, Smbassett**  
  
CHAPTER SEVEN

**3AM/Must be lonely**  
  
Remus had awoken by the time they arrived in the boys' dorm, he was propped up against his pillows waiting for them. While James and Peter went to pick up a potion for him from Madam Pomfrey, and to get some food from the kitchens to save the werewolf the walk to the Great Hall, Dawn told Remus all about her realisation.  
  
Remus let out a soft 'hmm' as he mulled Dawn's case over. There were a lot of things they needed to consider. First, they needed to find out exactly how great the differences were between Dawn's original dimension and the one they were living in. If they could figure that out, then logically they should be able to figure out if there potentially could be a Buffy Summers in this reality. Once they knew they had a Buffy, they could tackle the task of tracking down a muggle woman living on the other side of the world. Then what? They'd pop on over to California in a free period and just knock on her front door? Remus frowned. Maybe it wasn't going to be quite that simple. He glanced at Dawn's face, alight with childlike delight and anticipation, and immediately pushed his concerns aside. He'd just have to make damned sure he could work them out later for her.  
  
"I'm sure we'll be able to work it out," he smiled.  
  
"Knew I could count on you," Dawn said warmly.  
  
Right then, James and Peter returned bearing potions and food, and the group settled down to a quiet dinner in the middle of the dorm room floor. They picked at the cold chicken and salad, Dawn still too worked up to really eat much. She didn't feel like doing much of anything other than tracking down her family.  
  
"So where do you think I should start looking for information?" she asked the group at large.  
  
"I thought maybe _we_ should try the Library," Sirius suggested sarcastically, with a deliberate emphasis on the 'we' , just to be sure Dawn knew they were going to keep their word and help her.  
  
"Really?" Dawn returned, eyebrow arched, her sarcasm by far outstripping Sirius'. "Under what section? Phone books for tracking down the alternate dimension versions of your family half way around the world?"  
  
James, Remus and Peter snickered loudly at her comeback, Sirius just stuck his tongue out at her before reaching for more chicken.  
  
"I don't know anything about the phone book part," Remus said, his voice betraying his lingering amusement. "But I think we should start with the alternative dimensions idea. We need to find out exactly what the differences are between here and there to figure out if it's even possible for there to be a Buffy here."  
  
"Cool," Dawn grinned, passing the untouched food on her plate over to Peter, causing his eyes to light up. "I can't wait to get researching!"  
  
Remus, however, was staring at something just beyond Dawn on the floor. "I just have one question- what the hell is that supposed to be?" he pointed to what had caught his eye.  
  
Dawn turned to look. "Newman! C'mere my little teacup," she called happily, holding out her hand as her teacup waddled forwards at a snail's pace.  
  
Remus raised his eyebrows, looking to Sirius for an explanation. 'Newman?' he mouthed.  
  
Sirius just shook his head. 'Don't ask.'  
  
Meanwhile, Newman was still struggling to close the foot-long gap between himself and Dawn's outstretched hand. James whipped out his wand.  
  
"_Accio!_" Newman zoomed into his hand, and James passed the teacup to Dawn, who was looking at him oddly.  
  
"Thought he could use a hand," James shrugged, which got Dawn giggling a little.  
  
The next evening found the five Gryffindors huddled outside the Library doors well after curfew. Remus eased the door open, and he, Dawn and Peter slipped through immediately. James and Sirius stood on the other side of the threshold, looking apprehensive.  
  
"Come on," Remus hissed.  
  
They hesitated. "Promise you'll never tell anyone we set foot inside the Library?" James whispered.  
  
"Oh for Merlin's sake," Remus whispered furiously. "Are you trying to get us caught?"  
  
"Do you promise?" Sirius insisted.  
  
"Oh alright," Remus sighed. Beside him, Peter and Dawn nodded their affirmation.  
  
"Marauder's honour?" James pressed. Remus growled at him.  
  
Dawn's nose crinkled in confusion. "Marauder's honour?" she asked.  
  
"You put your hand on your left butt cheek and swear you won't betray our secret by Marauder's honour," Sirius explained.  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes and let out a sigh that sounded oddly like 'boys'. When the three already inside the Library had sworn never, ever to tell anyone that James Potter and Sirius Black had willingly set foot inside a Library, the two boys took a deep breath, steeled themselves, and crossed the threshold.  
  
They made their way through the shelves, heading for one of the back tables where their lantern wouldn't be spotted from the doorway. Dawn was smirking slightly at Sirius.  
  
"Was that so hard?" she whispered teasingly as he gingerly picked up a book from the stack Remus had deposited on the table.  
  
"I swear, if you weren't so bloody adorable," Sirius responded, shaking his head. Maybe what James had once said about him was right- he really would do just about anything for a pretty girl. Even read something beyond a dirty magazine.  
  
"Would you two stop flirting and give us a hand, here?" James asked evenly, not even looking up from the page he was skimming. Dawn went very red and dived for cover behind the book lying closest to her. Sirius shot James a half-playful, half-serious glare.  
  
"Must you always be cramping my style, Prongs?"  
  
"Must you always be making be want to vomit, Padfoot?"  
  
"Must you always be asking each other such asinine questions?" Remus threw into the mix drolly. A little giggle reached their ears from behind the book Dawn was still using as a shield for her still-red face.  
  
They spent the next several nights in the same pattern. Dawn would be sure to let the other girls in her dorm see her go up to bed, she'd sometimes even talk to Isabel for a while. Then, the second she was sure they were all asleep, she'd go for the boys, and they'd stay in the Library til the early hours of the morning, researching alternate dimensions from every angle they could think of. They caught up on their sleep during History of Magic lessons.  
  
"This is hopeless, we're not getting anywhere," Peter sighed, throwing what felt like his millionth book on the 'useless' pile.  
  
"Sure we are," James said bracingly. "We know heaps!"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
James hesitated. That was actually a pretty good question.  
  
"Well I think we can safely rule out the world without shrimp," Dawn piped up, tossing her own unhelpful book aside.  
  
"Shrimp?" Remus asked, furrowing his brow.  
  
"Unless this is the world without shrimp..." Dawn considered, her eyebrows raised at the thought.  
  
Sirius shrugged. "Maybe it's one of those words that are American and we have a different word for the same thing in English," he suggested.  
  
"Um..." Dawn thought it over a moment, Giles and Spike's voices running through her mind. "Prawns? We can safely rule out the world without prawns?"  
  
"You mean like the little chess pieces?" Peter blurted.  
  
James sniggered. "No, the little seafood things," he explained before turning to Dawn. "Yeah, we've got those, so it's not anything to do with the world without shrimp."  
  
"Good to know."  
  
"Only if you really like shrimp."

* * *

Two best friends prowled through the darkened halls of Hogwarts, their stealthy movements clearly showing they were on a mission. James shot a look out of the corner of his eye at Sirius as they inched around a corner on their way to the kitchens for a well-after-midnight snack.  
  
"So how's it going with you and Dawn?" he asked casually.  
  
Sirius shrugged. "Don't know what you're on about, Prongs," he said evasively.  
  
James just laughed. "Oh come on. We all know you've got it bad for her. And anyone can see she likes you right back. You have noticed that, haven't you?"  
  
Realising he wasn't about to get out of this little talk, Sirius just shot James a quick grin. "Well, I like to think so. But then it's easy to imagine a girl fancies you when every time you look at her, you picture her naked with her legs wrapped round you, moaning and screaming things like 'you're a God Sirius Black, touch me there again!'"  
  
James shook his head firmly to dislodge the very disturbing images that had just cropped up there, replacing them with ones of himself and a certain fiery redheaded prefect. After several moments of contemplation, he turned back to Sirius. "Nope, doesn't work. I'm still pretty sure Evans hates me."  
  
Sirius snorted and the two boys continued walking. "Look, just go for it mate. You've never worried about it before," James advised.  
  
"I've never been worried about being turned down before," Sirius mumbled, so quietly James barely heard him.  
  
"She's not going to turn you down, Padfoot. Trust me. Now let's go check out that passage to Honeydukes, I feel like chocolate," James blurted, changing their direction as abruptly as he changed the subject, pulling Sirius off down another hallway towards one of their newly discovered secret passages.

* * *

Dawn rubbed at her eyes tiredly and reached for yet another book. It had just gone 3AM, and the Library was silent, save for the gentle snores coming from Peter, who had fallen asleep on his open book beside her. Remus was canvassing the Restricted Section for more sources and James and Sirius had gone to the Kitchens for something to eat.  
  
"And she said baby, it's 3AM I must be lonely," she sang under her breath.  
  
"That's a rather interesting conclusion," a voice remarked.  
  
Dawn shot to her feet, staring at the speaker in horror. Despite her sudden movements, Peter slept on peacefully, unaware of the huge problem of being discovered in the Library several hours after curfew that had just cropped up.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," Dawn gasped. Of all the Professors to get sprung by, she just had to cop the most powerful, didn't she?  
  
"Miss Summers," the Headmaster returned courteously, as if it was a common occurrence for him to bump into one of his students in the Library at 3AM on a Friday morning. "May I ask, what was that rather interesting song you were singing just now?"  
  
Dawn blinked. As far as punishments go, this was starting out in a fairly abstract way. "Um, 3AM by Matchbox Twenty," she answered slowly.  
  
"I shall have to look into this Matchbox Twenty," Dumbledore mused, well on the way to losing himself in thought. The slight rustle of Dawn's clothing as she shifted uncomfortably refocused his attention, and he turned his penetrating stare onto the young girl. "I do not think it is class work that has brought you and your friends here every night for the past week and a half, Dawn."  
  
It was a statement, not a question, but somehow Dawn just knew she was supposed to answer this one. "No, Professor. We've been looking at different dimensions... I wanted to see if... I mean, I just thought..." Dawn trailed off, starting to feel a little distressed. It had been so easy to find the words to share her hopes with her friends, but now the words had abandoned her. All she could think of was how selfish she'd been, so wrapped up in her own thing that she didn't even stop to consider the trouble it could land her friends in.  
  
"It was only a matter of time before you became curious about any possible family ties you might be able to salvage in this world," Dumbledore said fairly, though Dawn barely had time to register the fact that he knew exactly what she was up to when she hadn't even told him before he continued. "I do not, however, believe that curiosity warrants five of my students repeatedly sneaking out of their dormitories after curfew, taking books from the Restricted Section without authorisation, and using their History of Magic lessons to catch up on all the sleep they've been missing though their nocturnal excursions to the Library."  
  
Dawn's eyes welled with tears. "I'm sorry Professor. I know I'm in big trouble and I deserve it, but please don't punish my friends for this! They only wanted to help, it was all my idea. I just had to know if there was a Buffy in this world, I know it's stupid but please, please don't punish them. If you're going to give detentions, let me do them, I'll do it all for the five of us, Professor I swear!" Dawn babbled, while one of the very friends she was begging to be spared from punishment snored obliviously away behind her.  
  
Dumbledore waited for the overpowering flow of Dawn's words to trickle down before he smiled gently at the near-distraught girl, his eyes twinkling just a little with his amusement. He had been dubious of her friendship with 'the Marauders', as they were lovingly known to a select few, when she had first settled at Hogwarts. He had half expected theirs to be a mere acquaintance of convenience, that Dawn would stick by the first people she'd met here for safety until she found a circle of friends more suited to her tastes. Friends of a much more subdued nature. But oh no, Dumbledore could see it now as clear as the dawn the girl was named after. A Marauder's spirit lurked deep in her soul, masked to most by that wondrously sweet countenance that seemed to temper her wild friends so beautifully. His smile deepened a notch.  
  
"If I was here to punish you, Dawn, I would have done so a week and a half ago, and Messrs Potter and Black would have been spared the trauma of having to take their first steps into the Library," he informed her frankly.  
  
Dawn's jaw dropped. He'd known all along? What exactly was going on? Why had he come tonight, if he wasn't there to punish them? Why did he have to keep smiling at her like that, as if he was enjoying some private joke with her, yet knew she wasn't quite in on it? That was quite annoying, actually. Dawn hated being kept in the dark, Buffy had never understood that secrecy led to things like Magic Box break-ins and slit wrists. Memories exploded into Dawn's mind with that thought. The Summers' kitchen blurry and out of focus, her vision sharpened only by the reassuring bite of cold metal dragging across her vein. Her own voice echoed from somewhere in the back of Dawn's mind.  
  
'Is this blood?'  
  
Dumbledore's amusement gave way to concern as he watched the girl before him retreat into herself just a little. "Dawn?"  
  
Dawn blinked. 'This is blood, isn't it?' "Yes, Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"Are you alright?" the Headmaster pressed.  
  
Dawn nodded, and he reached into his robes, extracting a small stack of parchment and placing it on the table. "I would not spend so much of your time in the Library if I were you, Miss Summers. Good night," he said pointedly.  
  
'Can't be me- I'm not a key.' "Yes sir. Good night," Dawn whispered, barely noticing his departure which was as sudden as his arrival. A moment later, she heard his voice calling back to her.  
  
"It does not do to dwell on the past, the present is not something to be forgotten."  
  
It only took her a moment to realise what the papers he'd left were. It was all the research he'd done on both the Key and interdimensional travel when he'd been trying to get her back to Sunnydale. Dawn touched a hand to the topmost piece of parchment, just to be sure it was real. She was tracing a finger over the bumpy surface with her eyes closed when Remus came back from the Restricted Section.  
  
"What's that?" he asked, seeing the parchment.  
  
"I'm not a thing."  
  
"Dawn- what?" Remus frowned. 'I'm not a thing.' Where would such a random statement have come from? James and Sirius materialised beside them then, James polishing off the last of a Honeydukes chocolate bar. Dawn opened her eyes, but her gaze seemed blurred, unfocused.  
  
"What am I? Am I real? Am I anything?" she whispered, her voice breaking on the final word. Dawn's face contorted, trying to fight back the tears the rest of her didn't even realise were there.  
  
Remus shook her gently. "Dawnie?"  
  
She seemed to come back out of herself then with a little shiver. "What's going on?" she asked, unaware that her face was wet, streaked with tears. James and Remus exchanged looks of mutual concern as Sirius brushed the stray tears from Dawn's cheeks.  
  
"You tell us, Kitten," he tried. "You were saying weird things- asking funny questions. 'What am I? Am I real? Am I anything?'" he quoted.  
  
Dawn's face screwed up in confusion. "I said that?" she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.  
  
"And just before it you said you weren't a thing," Remus added.  
  
A flash of comprehension widened Dawn's eyes, smoothing the wrinkles that had been across her forehead only moments before. "I remember," she murmured. "I said that... when I found out about the Key." As she spoke, Dawn rubbed absently at the scar that interrupted the smoothness of her left wrist.  
  
"Ok," said James, waving a hand in the air. "I'm officially lost."  
  
"Maybe we should take this up to the Common Room," Remus suggested, clearing up the piles of books.  
  
Dawn nodded distractedly, clutching Dumbledore's gift tightly in her hands. "Yeah. Dumbledore, uh, suggested we not hang out here so much after hours."  
  
"Dumbledore?" Sirius asked sharply.  
  
Dawn nodded as they began the stealthy trip back up to Gryffindor Tower. "Don't worry, we're not in trouble. Not this time, anyway. Next time... well, I don't think we should be having next times for a while."  
  
They slid through Hogwarts like shadows, by now Dawn was almost as accustomed as her friends to moving about the castle undetected. After all, a true Marauder did not always need to rely on the luxury of an Invisibility Cloak. Once safely in the Common Room, James flopped onto a leather armchair, making himself comfortable.  
  
"I'm still needing the explanations here," he reminded them.  
  
The rest chose a seat before Dawn spoke. "What didn't you get, James?"  
  
"Well I don't get why you're giving us live replays of scenes from Sunnydale out of the blue, Kitten. You're all right, aren't you? There's nothing the matter, is there?"  
  
Dawn shook her head, hoping she was right. "No. No, I'm ok, James. I think it might just be stress, you know? I mean, we've barely slept in a week and a half, and every waking minute has been spent obsessing over home... guess it's only natural my brain would start smushing Sunnydale into the foreground eventually."  
  
"If you're sure then," Remus said, frowning slightly. Strange, he couldn't recall her ever calling where she came from 'home' before. For some reason it didn't sit well with him, and he could see that James and Sirius didn't like the sound of it either. Didn't she know? Couldn't she feel that this was where she belonged?  
  
Dawn nodded, yawning. "I'm sure. I think we could all just use a decent night's sleep."  
  
"Mmm-hmm," James agreed, sinking back into his seat. The four of them were just about falling asleep right where they were when Dawn suddenly bolted upright.  
  
"We left Peter in the Library!"  
  
The three boys exchanged a glance. They shrugged. If he was asleep, then he was happy. And it wasn't as if he wouldn't know where to find them when he woke up. Dawn bit her lip as Sirius tugged her arm down until she was laying with him on the couch they'd been sharing.  
  
"What about Peter?"

* * *

Two girls stood in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room, watching four of their year-mates sleeping away on the couches, completely unaware that the rest of their house had sprung to life around them.  
  
"Maybe we should wake them," Isabel suggested. She moved over to the couch where Dawn lay with Sirius, his arm slung loosely about her shoulders. Isabel couldn't help but smirk at the familiarity between the pair.  
  
"Just leave them," Lily countered. "They've probably been out all night up to no good, anyway."  
  
"Oh don't be like that Lily. I know it's only things to do with James Potter that get you all worked up like this, but please just wake him up for me. You know you wouldn't like it if we left you to sleep through class," Isabel lectured gently. She wasn't wrong, either. She knew the only topic that could cause Lily's legendary temper to flare was James, but she had a good heart deep down that wouldn't let her do anything truly cruel to another human being. Well, almost anything truly cruel.  
  
"Fine," Lily sighed, stalking over to James' armchair while Isabel began shaking Dawn gently.  
  
"Potter!" Lily screeched, giving him a swift forehead slap. "Get your lazy, arrogant backside up this instant! You're late!"  
  
James was yanked roughly into consciousness with a stinging forehead and his ears ringing. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and adjusted his glasses, only to find Lily Evans leaned over him, glaring and looking mightily put out.  
  
"Well, well, waking up face to face with Evans. It's like all my wet dreams come true," he grinned.  
  
Lily arched an eyebrow. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing, only about my worst nightmares."  
  
Remus was yawning and stretched to the sounds of Sirius' loud snickering at Lily's sharp comeback. "What time is it?" Remus asked.  
  
"It's pretty late," Isabel told him. "You really should get a move on."  
  
"Right. Thanks for waking us," Remus smiled as he stood. Isabel smiled shyly back at the male fifth-year prefect before she and Lily left for breakfast. They reached the portrait entrance just as it swung open, revealing a chubby boy with mussed-up hair and wrinkled clothing rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.  
  
"Peter-?" Isabel began, but Lily just shook her head.  
  
"Don't ask," she muttered, urging Isabel through the opening.  
  
The group left behind hurried to dress and collect their bags for classes, barely having time for breakfast before racing down to the dungeons for potions.  
  
"That was actually pretty close," James puffed, sliding into his seat.  
  
"Yeah," Remus whispered back, careful not to be overheard as the lesson had just begun. "Only eight seconds instead of our usual thirty to spare, we should be a bit more careful of that."  
  
They all set about creating the wit-sharpening potion from the instructions, as always, left on the board while the Professor busied herself in the store room.  
  
"This potion should prove useful for you, cousin," Bellatrix snapped across the room at Sirius, her dark eyes glittering with malice as all the Slytherins laughed cruelly.  
  
"No, Bella, you can't improve on perfection," Sirius replied smartly, drawing a few scattered laughs from the rest of the class.  
  
"No," Bellatrix sneered. "I just thought you'd be brewing it by the gallon for your little mudblood girlfriend there."  
  
Sirius shot to his feet, wand in hand. "Leave her alone," he growled dangerously.  
  
Moving so fast she surprised herself, Dawn intercepted him. She skidded into his path as he stalked towards his cousin, ready to hex her big mouth closed permanently. Dawn's hand rested timidly on his chest in a weak attempt to keep Sirius at bay.  
  
"Don't, Sirius. Just leave it," she murmured.  
  
"No- I won't just sit there and let that cow call you that," Sirius snarled, his eyes snapping with so much pent up anger it was almost frightening.  
  
"I know. Just ignore her. Please..." Dawn's eyes pleaded up with Sirius, her voice was gentle and soothing. Finally, Sirius nodded at Dawn and deflated a little. The pair made to turn back to their cauldrons when a high-pitched cackle froze them in their tracks.  
  
"Ooh, a spineless little Gryff, led around by a stupid American mudblood," Bellatrix crowed, clearly trying to test how far she could push both Sirius and Dawn before they retaliated. Her cousin was so much more entertaining when he fought with her.  
  
Dawn and Sirius had turned to glare at Bellatrix. Dawn watched the slightly bigger girl smirking at them and had to bite her tongue to keep from giving Bellatrix the satisfaction of seeing both Gryffindors lose their temper. The two girls stared each other down, Dawn feeling the stares of the entire class on her and trying desperately not to cringe under all the attention. Dawn did not take her eyes from Bellatrix's for one moment as she forced herself to speak slowly and evenly to Sirius.  
  
"She's not worth it."  
  
"What did you say?" Bellatrix snapped, her eyes narrowed.  
  
"I said, you're not worth our time," Dawn said quietly, before she turned and walked calmly back to her cauldron. A moment later, Sirius had tossed a victorious smirk at his speechless cousin before he, too, turned his back on her. Remus found Dawn's hand under the table and gave it a quick squeeze. She stared at her parchment, shocked by her own boldness, and her jaw dropped just a little when fresh words appeared across the surface of her parchment of their own accord.  
  
_Good job, Kitten._  
  
Dawn blinked. She was pretty sure that was James' handwriting, but how on earth had it managed to get onto her parchment? She looked over at James a couple of tables away, only to find him grinning back at her.  
  
'How?' Dawn mouthed, gesturing to the message.  
  
James held up a finger to indicate he needed a moment. He scribbled something on the scrap of parchment in front of him, touched it with his wand while he whispered something, and a moment later the ink was forming into words right before Dawn's eyes.  
  
_Touch the writing with your wand and think of the surface you want your note to appear on. The spell is 'scriptio displacus'._  
  
Grinning, Dawn scribbled a note back to James, then touched her wand to the ink. "Scriptio displacus."  
  
James smiled to himself as he read her words.  
  
_This is so cool! And thanks, though I think I'd better start sleeping with one eye open, you know?  
  
Don't worry, Kitten. Nobody's gonna lay a hand on you while we're around._  
  
Dawn didn't even have to think before she replied.  
  
_I know._  
  
They made their way down to the borders of the Forbidden Forest to meet Professor Kettleburn for Care of Magical Creatures. When all of Gryffindor had assembled, Kettleburn led them a little ways into the Forest, along a narrow path. Almost as soon as they were out of sight of the edge of the Forest, completely surrounded by trees on every side, Peter fell over a protruding root.  
  
Dawn winced sympathetically as the heavy boy thudded painfully to the ground, the contents of his bag spilling all over. She ran back to him and crouched by his side. "You go on," she said to the other boys. "We'll catch up."  
  
"Ok. Don't be long," Remus advised as he, James and Sirius continued on with the rest of the class. When they were on their way, Dawn turned and laid a concerned hand on Peter's shoulder.  
  
"Are you ok, Peter?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks," Peter muttered. He was blushing a little as he brushed the dirt off his hands, which were now slightly grazed and scratched. He held his bag open while Dawn quickly scooped all his things back in, and the pair set off down the path after the others.  
  
After ten minutes of following a dwindling path while the undergrowth got thicker and the canopy of trees darker around them, Dawn stopped. "Um, Peter? You sure this is the right way?"  
  
Peter blinked. "What are you talking about? I was following you."  
  
"But I was following you," Dawn returned, dread settling somewhere in the pit of her stomach.  
  
Peter's eyes widened. "But... at least, we have been following a path, right?"  
  
Dawn looked around, panic rising within her. The path that had been steadily dwindling seemed to have finally dwindled, to the point where they'd left it behind completely. "Oh God," she whimpered.  
  
"Oh Merlin," Peter moaned, staring at Dawn in horror. They were completely lost. Sure, he'd been dragged into this place often enough by his friends over the years, but it didn't mean he liked it. How could he, with the multitude of nasty creatures likely to be lurking behind each and every tree? Peter hated to admit it, but he didn't know his way around in the least- he was always content just to follow wherever the other boys would lead.  
  
"Ok," Dawn said slowly, when it became apparent that their problem wasn't going to disappear just because they really wanted it to. "If we just go back the way we came, then we'll have to get back to the path eventually, right?"  
  
Peter nodded. "Sounds good. Which way did we come from?"  
  
"Good question."  
  
The pair stood around stupidly, looking forlornly at one another until Dawn timidly suggested they try the gap between the two trees to their right. They stumbled along through the undergrowth for what seemed like a lifetime before they practically fell into a new clearing, this one much bigger than the last.  
  
"This is better," Peter commented, stretching out a little.  
  
Dawn shook her head. "But it isn't the way we came. So now instead of still lost, we're even more lost. And there's something coming."  
  
Sure enough, there was a rustling in the bushes to their left, and a moment later a creature sprang out into the clearing. Dawn and Peter let out identical gasps of fright as they cowered under the piercing stare of the black centaur.  
  
"You stray from the safe part of the Forest, children of men," the centaur said sternly. Peter was opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. This was _exactly_ what he was afraid would happen every time they set foot in the Forbidden Forest.  
  
Dawn cringed, suddenly feeling a lot like a six year-old with her hand caught in the cookie jar. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to... stray. We got lost." Peter nodded furiously at her words, positioning himself half a step behind Dawn, so she was between him and the centaur.  
  
"What are your names, children?"  
  
Realising that this was so not the time for her 'I'm not a kid!' speech, Dawn quickly answered the question. "I'm Dawn Summers and this is my friend Peter. Peter Pettigrew. And you are?"  
  
The centaur blinked at Dawn, as if he was trying to decide if she was being insolent or just friendly. "My name is Bane," he finally replied, and was a little taken aback as the girl offered him her brightest smile.  
  
Bane studied Dawn, seemingly lost deep in thought. "Mars has been very bright of late," he mused.  
  
Dawn glanced over her shoulder to Peter, who just shrugged. How was he supposed to know what Mars being bright had to do with them being lost in the woods? Suddenly, Bane's stare hardened, the calculating look in his eyes chilling Dawn to the bone.  
  
"You have power, little one. Power which the corrupted would seek for their own gain, the Centaurs have long read it in the stars. He would have your blood to bend to his evil will, child," Bane warned cryptically.  
  
That familiar sinking feeling that told Dawn her life was once again in danger returned to her in full force. Someone wanted the Key. Sooner or later, someone was coming for her.  
  
"Who?" she whispered.  
  
"The one they call Lord Voldemort, though they dare not speak his name," Bane replied, sparing a disdainful glance for Peter, who had whimpered in fright at the mention of Voldemort. A moment later, the centaur's stern gaze had refocused squarely on Dawn. "You shall not be welcomed so easily again. Return to your school, girl, and stray not again from the safety you think your castle offers. When foolish children wander into the Forbidden Forest, the Centaurs will not lower themselves to protect them from the many dangers within."  
  
Dawn nodded. Never come back here? Really not an issue. "Ok, then. Um... how do I get out of here?"  
  
Bane frowned at the girl who had the nerve to ask a centaur for directions. He slowly lifted a hand and pointed to a gap in the trees. "The path lies that way. Do not return to this place," Bane warned one final time.  
  
Peter had already scurried between the trees by the time Dawn reached the edge of the clearing. Before slipping back into the thick of the Forest, Dawn turned to Bane. "It was nice to meet you," she grinned, before taking off after Peter.  
  
They found the path fairly easily, and only had to follow it a little way before the shouts reached their ears. "Peter!? Dawn!?"  
  
"Over here!" they yelled back, jogging towards the sounds of their friends' voices. They stopped abruptly as James, Remus and Sirius burst spectacularly through the trees right in front of them.  
  
"What happened to you two?" Remus demanded. "You missed the entire lesson."  
  
"The bag, then the path, and then no path... the clearing, and a centaur who said something about some Voldemort guy being after me... then the path again," Dawn explained lamely, her mind running at a mile a minute.  
  
James looked at Peter as he recovered from his wince at hearing 'Voldemort' twice in a matter of minutes, but Peter just shrugged.  
  
"What she said."

* * *

Dawn sat outside Dumbledore's office, waiting for the Headmaster to return. She was wringing her hands nervously as the minutes ticked by, and she looked to the boy next to her for reassurance.  
  
"I'm doing the right thing, aren't I? Coming to Dumbledore over what Bane said, I mean."  
  
Sirius nodded firmly. "Yes, he'd want to know right away if it's anything to do with V-Voldemort," he said, stumbling slightly over the name. "Besides, it is Divination we're missing out on right now!"  
  
"Who is this Voldemort, anyway?" Dawn asked, curious. After all, it paid to know your enemies.  
  
"I'll explain later," Sirius whispered, standing as the stone staircase began to revolve, carrying Dumbledore up to the landing.  
  
"Ah, Mr Black, Miss Summers. Please, do come on in. I take it you have matters of great importance to discuss with me? Such a shame you felt it necessary to sacrifice your Divination lesson in order to speak with me," Dumbledore smiled, letting the two students into his office.  
  
"Yes sir," Dawn began, perching on the edge of a chair. "See, Peter and I got lost in the Forbidden Forest a little while ago."  
  
"Oh dear," the Headmaster looked mildly concerned. The number of times that boy had gone into the Forbidden Forest over the past five years, and still he managed to get himself lost? It was a worry.  
  
"Anyway, I was helping Peter pick up everything he dropped when he fell over, and we ended up getting separated from the rest of the class and couldn't find our way back," Dawn explained. Dumbledore just nodded, motioning for her to continue with her story. "Well we met a centaur named Bane, he said that Lord Voldemort would have my blood to bend to his evil will."  
  
Dumbledore was suddenly sitting up much straighter, his eyes had become hard and calculating. "What else did he say?"  
  
Dawn frowned, thinking back. It wasn't easy- she'd mostly been focusing on the revelation that her life was once again in mortal peril and had not made any effort to remember the rest. "He said... I shouldn't go back into the Forest, can't say I disagree with him there, and... he said... oh! He said Mars has been very bright of late, whatever that means."  
  
"Mars is after the God of War," Sirius offered, smiling sheepishly when Dawn gave him a funny look. "My family is kind of into the Astronomy thing."  
  
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Dawn smiled.  
  
Quickly controlling his smiled at the obvious chemistry between the pair before him, Dumbledore cleared his throat softly to refocus their attention. Dawn cringed a little when she noticed the sombre look trained on her. She knew that look well, it meant that she really should be worried for her safety. The only difference was it used to be Giles, not Dumbledore who looked at her that way.  
  
"Dawn, I am afraid you may be in danger," he warned.  
  
Dawn sighed, carefully schooling her features to allow only the same sort of reaction James would show to Professor Damus' weekly predictions of death and despair. After all, what else was new? Undeterred, and entirely unfooled by Dawn's carefully controlled mannerisms, Dumbledore pressed on.  
  
"I am aware that he is no Goddess from an untold hell dimension, but do not pretend to take Lord Voldemort so lightly. His interest in the power you possess is most troubling, and I strongly recommend caution, Dawn. Voldemort is looking for the power within you, and although he does not yet know who you are, he will stop at nothing to find what he is after." Dumbledore's gaze then shifted to Sirius. "I trust your friends will be doing their best to keep you safe, but you must know that you will be watched closely by others."  
  
Sirius smirked. "So you're saying I should put a hold on those plans to smuggle her out of the castle and into a sleazy bar so I can get her drunk and seduce her?"  
  
Dumbledore's eyes were alight with laughter, but he maintained his straight face. "Need I truly answer that question, Sirius? Now I'm sure you will not wish to return to Divination so late and disrupt the rest of the class-"  
  
Sirius snorted, Dawn elbowed him into silence.  
  
"So perhaps you should return to your Common Room until dinner. Good day, and take care," Dumbledore concluded, extending a hand towards the door.  
  
"Yes sir, thankyou sir," Dawn said, following Sirius out of the office. They made their way through the halls, but Dawn put a hand on Sirius' arm to stop him as they passed the girls' bathroom.  
  
"Would you mind waiting? I won't be long."  
  
When Sirius nodded, Dawn skipped off into the bathroom and he leaned against the wall to make himself comfortable for the wait. The words 'I won't be long' were NEVER true they were said by a female in relation to a bathroom. As most of the school was still in their last class of the week, the halls were quite deserted, and Sirius tensed when he heard the unexpected clatter of footsteps coming his way.  
  
Suddenly, the figure that had just appeared at the top of the stairs to Sirius' left tripped, sending the too-heavy load of books and parchment in his arms into chaos. If it had been any other student in the school (aside from his friends, of course) Sirius would have been howling with laughter, but instead he just sighed. He walked over to his directionless little brother and dropped to his knees, gathering a few scattered pieces of loose parchment.  
  
Regulus just watched him for a moment, before he seemed to remember himself and started helping. "Thanks," he said quietly.  
  
"No problem, Reg," Sirius returned, loading the younger boy's arms carefully with his belongings. Neither Sirius nor Regulus noticed the door to the girls' bathroom a only few paces away swing open. Nor did they see Dawn come bounding out, stop dead in her tracks when she saw the two brothers, spin around and head straight back where she came from. And they certainly didn't notice the door left open just a crack, so a pair of big blue eyes could peer out on the scene.  
  
Dawn had her first chance to really study Regulus as the two boys climbed to their feet, Sirius shooting a hand out to grab the topmost book as it slipped from Regulus' pile. She realised she'd been wrong in her original assessment of the younger Black; he was not an awkward carbon copy of his older brother. They were very similar, nobody could deny they were family, but Regulus was slightly skinnier, a little paler, and his dull grey eyes were no match for the lovely blue of Sirius' that reminded Dawn of clear, open skies. She listened raptly to every inconsequential word in the short conversation carried out in the hall.  
  
"What're you doing out of class? Free period?" Sirius asked in a would-be casual voice.  
  
"Yeah. You?" Regulus replied in much the same tone.  
  
Sirius shook his head. "I just came from Dumbledore's office."  
  
"Again?" Regulus couldn't hide his amused smirk, and Sirius let out a little chuckle.  
  
"Well you know me."  
  
Regulus changed the subject abruptly then, avoiding his older brother's gaze. "Bella told me you had another fight with her in potions this morning," he admitted, looking just a little upset. Sirius was the white sheep of the Black family, as it were, but that didn't mean Regulus didn't love him still, and he hated to think of him fighting with the cousin he most admired and adored.  
  
Sirius sighed. "Look, Regulus, you don't need to worry about all that. It was just a stupid argument, she insulted one of my friends."  
  
"That mud- girl you're always hanging out with now?"  
  
"Dawn. And yes," Sirius replied shortly, shifting uncomfortably. Brother or not, if Regulus didn't learn to watch his mouth...  
  
Sensing the danger of pushing his brother on this subject, Regulus dropped it. He looked up at Sirius, and his grey eyes seemed almost sad and lonely. "I really wish you wouldn't fight with Bella."  
  
"I really wish I didn't have to."  
  
Regulus nodded slowly, as if trying to accept that his brother wasn't going to change. Not even for him. "I've got to go. Bye, Sirius," he started briskly down the hallway.  
  
"Regulus?" Sirius called after him. Regulus turned back. "Take care of yourself, ok?"  
  
Regulus just smiled and left, leaving Sirius alone in the hall with a bittersweet little smile on his own face. The bathroom door swung open and Dawn walked up to him.  
  
"Finally," Sirius groaned with a roll of his eyes. "What is it with chicks and bathrooms?"  
  
Dawn just smiled and refused to answer. "So what did Peter and I actually miss in Care of Magical Creatures, anyway?" she asked as they continued towards Gryffindor Tower.  
  
"Thestrals. I would probably find them a whole lot more interesting if I could actually see them," he mused, but Dawn shook her head as she followed him straight up to the boys' dorm.  
  
"Trust me, you're better off not being able to see them."  
  
After considering this for a moment, Sirius decided she wasn't wrong. Dawn was smiling up at him, though. "So how are we gonna kill the time while everybody else is in class?"  
  
Sirius walked over until he was standing way too close to Dawn for comfort. "Oh I know _exactly_ what I'd like to be doing with you right now," he whispered enticingly.  
  
Dawn swallowed. Her heart was pounding, but she rose to the challenge, arching an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"  
  
"Come on, let's do it," Sirius urged. "Let's play Wizard's Chess!"  
  
Dawn looked up at the innocent, boyish grin plastered to his face and burst out laughing.  
  
"What's so funny, Kitten?"  
  
She just shook her head and plopped onto his bed, crossing her legs. He quickly set the board up, using magic to hold it steady on the unstable surface and took his place opposite. Dawn caught his eye after only a few moves each and grinned. "You're leading with your Knight."  
  
"Yeah," Sirius shrugged. "I always do. Nobody else ever does."  
  
Dawn's grin went up a notch as she gestured to the board. "I do."  
  
Sirius stopped to smile back at her. Something new he's just learned about Dawn Summers, something else that made her feel perfect for him. By the time he'd torn his gaze from hers and refocused on the chessboard, he'd completely forgotten what he was up to. "Hey, whose turn is it?"  
  
"It's your move," Dawn told him. Sirius, busy prodding one of his Rooks into place, missed the double meaning to her little declaration. They continued peacefully for a little while longer, Sirius smirking at Dawn's antics. Every time one of their pieces managed to be taken, Dawn would snatch it off the board and put it safely aside before the other piece could smash it into oblivion.  
  
"Well it's just cruel," she said defensively, pouting as Sirius let out a little snicker at her for rescuing his captured pawn from the wrath of one of her own.  
  
"You do realise we have charms to counteract the damage, right?" he asked. "Also, they're chess pieces."  
  
Dawn pulled a face. "Charms? Me? Need I remind you of Newman? So, who is this Voldemort guy, anyway? You said you'd tell me after we saw Dumbledore," she reminded Sirius, noticing him flinch ever so slightly at the name.  
  
"He's bad news, Dawnie. Dumbledore's right to be worried, if he's after the kind of power in you. Vol-Voldemort is so evil most witches and wizards can't even bring themselves to say his name out loud."  
  
Dawn cocked her head to the side. "That explains why Peter nearly wets himself every time he hears it, and why you keep stuttering every time you go to say it," she blurted thoughtlessly, and Sirius blushed a little.  
  
He looked down, going quiet as he separated two Bishops on the chessboard that had been brawling over a position. "You still don't know what it's like here," he mumbled.  
  
Dawn shrugged, still not realising how dangerously close she'd been to insulting his manhood. "I know what it was like in Sunnydale, and I've never been afraid to say Glorificus, or Angelus. Not to go all Shakespeare on you, but what's in a name?"  
  
"Shakespeare?"  
  
Dawn blinked. "You don't know Shakespeare? Wow. I thought everybody knew of him. He was a writer, muggle I guess, about 400 years ago. Good stuff."  
  
Sirius grinned, having successfully changed the subject. They looked back down at the chessboard to resume their game and froze. Somehow, without either of them realising it, a full-scale riot had broken out amongst the chess pieces and now only the scattered remains were left littering the board.  
  
"Oh God, it's a massacre!" Dawn groaned. Even the pieces she'd rescued earlier had been decimated.  
  
Sirius shrugged at her. "Maybe it's time I taught you the repairing charm," he suggested.  
  
Soon after, the other boys came wandering in one by one from their different classes. They went to dinner, then spent the evening huddled in a quiet corner of the Common Room talking about what Dumbledore had said, and how bad Lord Voldemort really was.  
  
It was rather early when Dawn departed for the girls' dorms with a little sigh. "Dawn's in trouble, must be Tuesday," she was mumbling.  
  
"It's Friday, actually," Peter called out helpfully.  
  
The Marauders slipped out to pull a quick prank on the Slytherins, inspired by a muggle saying James had heard: picture them all in their underwear. They retired relatively early themselves, relishing the opportunity to catch up on some sleep and thankful just to be away from the Library for a change. Three of them fell right to sleep, but one tossed and turned for a long while. Finally, with a frustrated noise, Sirius shoved his covers back to go to the bathroom.  
  
When he opened the door to head back into the main room of the dorm a minute later, he had to stop and consider that it really was a beautiful night. The slight bite of cold air was crisp and refreshing against his skin. The way the moonlight shone through the window and pooled across the floor at his feet was just right. The girl of his dreams (literally) standing a few paces inside the door was perfect. The silent tears that glistened as they streamed down Dawn's cheeks, however, were not so perfect.  
  
In less than a second, he had his arms full of her, her face buried into his neck. "I'm so scared. I wanna go home," she sobbed, clinging to him.  
  
Ignoring the uneasy feeling he got at the thought of Dawn leaving him, Sirius stroked her hair. "Shh, honey, it's ok. I've got you. It's all right," he murmured to her over and over, letting her cry herself out in his arms.  
  
Soon she was left sniffling and shaking, goose-bumps raised on her skin. Sirius disentangled himself from her just long enough to rummage through his drawers for a long-sleeved shirt. He helped Dawn slip it on before settling them silently together in his bed. Dawn buried herself as deep into Sirius as possible, forgetting everything but the need to feel his strong arms holding her tightly. His lips somehow found their way to her hair, the silking strands tickling his nose as the delicious scent of vanilla wound itself right through him.  
  
"Is there anything I can do?" he whispered.  
  
Dawn's eyes were closed, allowing nothing else in the world into her awareness beyond Sirius Black. She considered his offer for a moment. What did she want from him right now? "Sing for me?" she murmured.  
  
Sirius raised an eyebrow. Sure, he knew the odds of getting the response he most wanted to hear: 'I want you to rip my clothes off and ravish me' were slim to none, but he definitely hadn't been expecting _that_. "Well... what do you want me to sing?"  
  
"I don't care. Anything. Just sing to me," Dawn pleaded, shifting closer still to Sirius, who prayed his friends would sleep through the performance as he began to sing in Dawn's ear.  
  
**Talk to me softly there's something in your eyes **

**Don't hang your head in sorrow, and please don't cry. **

**I know how you feel inside I've, I've been there before- **

**Something is changing inside you, and don't you know?  
  
Don't you cry tonight, I still love you baby, **

**Don't you cry tonight. **

**Don't you cry tonight, there's a heaven above you baby, **

**And don't you cry tonight.  
  
Give me a whisper and give me a sigh, **

**Give me a kiss before you tell me goodbye. **

**Don't you take it so hard now, and please don't take it so bad, **

**I'll still be thinking of you and the times we had baby,  
  
And don't you cry tonight, and don't you cry tonight. **

**Don't you cry tonight, there's a heaven above you baby, **

**And don't you cry tonight.**  
  
At some point during his song, Sirius' hand had slipped down to rest on Dawn's waist and for some reason it felt perfectly natural to her when that hand began moving, rubbing up and down over her hip, tangling in the shirt he'd given her.  
  
"Don't stop," she sighed, not even realising the words that fell from her own lips.  
  
Sirius smiled slightly, not realising what she truly meant, and kept singing quietly to her.  
  
**And please remember that I never lied, **

**And please remember how I felt inside now honey. **

**You gotta make it your own way, but you'll be alright now sugar, **

**You'll feel better tomorrow, come the morning light now baby.  
  
And don't you cry tonight, and don't you cry tonight. **

**Don't you cry tonight, there's a heaven above you baby, **

**And don't you cry, don't you ever cry, **

**Don't you cry tonight, baby maybe someday.  
  
Don't you cry, don't you ever cry, **

**Don't you cry tonight.**  
  
As his voice faded away, Sirius looked down at Dawn's face. Her head had rolled back a little against his shoulder, her eyes still closed, her face tilting up towards his. He smiled, running a finger down her cheek. "Dawn?"  
  
"Mmm?" she breathed in response.  
  
Sirius hesitated. Should he really? Was it time for this? Dawn was having a stressful enough time as it was, he was suddenly unsure if this was the best idea for him to choose this moment to make his big move. Then Dawn shifted slightly, her body brushing up against his, and Sirius' hormones made his mind up for him. He stared up at the ceiling, gathering his courage.  
  
"I wanted to ask you something, actually," he whispered, determined to see it through now he'd started this. I think there's something between us, Dawnie, and I really thing you feel it too. You do, don't you? I- I really do like you, can't stop thinking about you, in fact. Merlin, this is never usually so difficult. I don't think I've ever actually had to ask a girl out after I've got her into bed... But I don't remember ever liking anybody as much as I like you, you're so amazing and new. I know you've got a lot to deal with right now, and I understand if you don't want to... if you don't want me... But I'd wait for you. You know that, don't you? So here goes- Dawn, will you go out with me?" After the words had poured out of his mouth at a staggering rate, Sirius held his breath and awaited Dawn's response.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Dawn? I'm sorry, should I not-?" Sirius muttered after a minute, a feeling of disappointment no girl had ever managed to cause him before crushing in on his chest.  
  
Dawn let out a little sigh. Sirius forced himself to look at her. He looked at her peaceful, expressionless face, watched the measured rise and fall of her chest and wondered exactly how much of his big confession she'd slept through. Smiling at how beautiful and innocent she looked, Sirius leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of Dawn's mouth before settling into sleep himself.

* * *

**Aren't they just too cute? I think they need a shake-up. [evil grin] Anoron**


	9. My Own Worst Enemy

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing here from either Harry or Buffy, they belong to JK Rowling and Joss Whedon. The song 'My Own Worst Enemy' is by Llt... or, something, but it still isn't mine, ok?  
  
**A/N:** Pitiful update, and too long a wait, I know. I apologise. I really didn't want to do this, which is why it's such a crappy story arc, but I couldn't have it too easy for them now, could I? Also, I wrote this in snatches and moments during my exams, so I'm just proud it doesn't digress into Medieval love magic essays, or the impact of Julius Caesar's reign at some point... I promise I'll try to make the story better over the next few chapters, I've got all sorts of characters I wanna play with here. Finally managed to come up with songs for the previous chapters, will list them at the bottom of this chapter.  
  
**My favourite people- reviewers. Thankyou, you all rule, keep the feedback coming and I'll keep the fic coming! I really do appreciate all the wonderful reviews I've got for this story, I wish I could spend all day replying, but it's 1:30AM, I've just come home from work (on a friggin courtesy bus no less!) and my brain is beginning to be not functional. But I do love you all, I swear! **

**Sonofgloin:** I know, I'm a tease. He'll get there one day, don't you worry. mwah

**RoseWill **

**Eleclya111 **

**Kat **

**Shadowing Tears:** Thanks for the reviews. Um, I have a stupid question- what does I.M.S stand for? [embarrassed face]

**tals:** LOL thanks for the reviews. I don't mind if you stalk, so long as you keep reviewing!! **Gancomer **

**Mademoiselle Morte **

**Lunawolf **

**Charlotte **

**Botticelli'sVenus **

**Summer Scythe **

**Rachel **

**Gigglygurl **

**Sunfire **

**Immortal:** Sorry bout the language thing, I'm Aussie and I'm not too sure on the Brit-speak! Oh well, I try.

**Beldaran:** We'll see what my fates have in store for dear Regulus...

**OrionTheHunter:** Really love that name!

**Eyexcandy:** Please don't kill me! It'll be ok, you just gotta have faith!

**Kody:** I whole-heartedly urge you to skip school on a regular basis just to read my fic. It's all about your priorities. Not really, I'd feel guilty if you flunked coz of me!

**Stacca:** Please no howlers!! And I make things easy in the beginning coz I'm too damn lazy to make my characters work to get my story up & running. It's a fault and I'm proud to admit it! LOL

**Christa:** Still intrigued by these ideas of yours. Really would love to see something!

**Harmoni9:** Sirius knows a Gunners song (sigh, I love Guns N' Roses) coz I'm a cheat, I've got them all up with muggle knowledge so I can do things like have them running around lingerie stores in London and sneaking into clubs etc. Creative licence is a beautiful thing!

**And of course the cruelunusual gang!**  
  
CHAPTER EIGHT  
**My Own Worst Enemy**  
  
James trudged sleepily into the Common Room, which was littered with bodies lazing about during the late Saturday morning. He caught sight of Dawn sitting alone and quiet in one corner. A book lay open on her lap, but she wasn't reading. Instead she was staring off into space with a dreamy look about her and one hand kept drifting up to lightly touch one corner of her mouth. Grinning, James wandered over and plucked her book off her lap so he could plop down on her. Dawn grunted under the sudden added weight as her book was dropped carelessly on the floor.  
  
"This seat taken?" James quipped.  
  
Dawn just shook her head, bemused. "Good morning, James."  
  
James waited until he'd shifted himself into a slightly more comfortable position, his elbow resting against the back of the chair, before speaking again. "Good morning, Sunshine. What are you thinking about? You were a million miles away a minute ago."  
  
Dawn shrugged underneath him, avoiding his gaze. "Nothing, really."  
  
"Not buying it, Kitten. Spill," James ordered.  
  
With a sigh, Dawn glanced up at him. "It really wasn't anything, James. I was just thinking about this dream I had last night."  
  
"What kind of dream?" James wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.  
  
Dawn blushed. "Just- a dream, ok?" she muttered.  
  
A pair of hazel eyes lit up behind round glasses, and James grinned broadly. "It was sexy stuff, wasn't it? C'mon, tell me!" he said loudly.  
  
Dawn's face was burning. With James' oh-so-tactless statement, every pair of eyes in the Common Room had zeroed in on the pair, sprawled in a compromising position in the corner.  
  
"Oh bugger off!" James hollered over his shoulder, and the room miraculously sprang back to life in a swirl of conversation. Unfortunately for Dawn, James had not forgotten their own topic of conversation. He bounced up and down on Dawn's legs mercilessly until finally she caved and admitted it was kind of a sexy dream. Just a little sexy.  
  
"Well?" James prompted.  
  
Dawn bit her lip. "If I tell you, do you swear you won't tell anyone? Not even the other guys?" she whispered.  
  
James nodded.  
  
"Marauder's honour?"  
  
"Hang on," James shifted around on her lap until his left butt cheek was lifted off his seat enough for him to put his hand on it. "I solemnly swear that I won't tell anyone about your sexy dream," he said earnestly.  
  
"Ok," Dawn sighed, and James leaned in a little to catch her whispers. "I kinda had this dream last night where Sirius kissed me," she confided, thinking back to it. It hadn't been long after she'd fallen asleep in his arms, the sound of his voice echoing through her head as he sang, as he said her name... then the softest, most sensual touch of his lips just to one corner of her mouth. Dawn had sworn she could almost taste him, if she didn't know better she's swear it had been real.  
  
James had to swallow the laugh bubbling up within him. If only he hadn't given his word on Marauder's honour that he wouldn't tell Sirius- the look on Dawn's face would give him all the encouragement he needed. "Well that's not too bad, really. In fact, I bet Padfoot would really enjoy hearing all about your sexy dream, I expect he'd hope you have loads more of them."  
  
Dawn's eyes widened. "You're not going to tell him, are you James? You promised," she panicked, forgetting she was supposed to be whispering.  
  
"Tell who what?" a new voice asked.  
  
Dawn bit back a whimper as she and James looked up at Sirius, Remus and Peter, all with raised eyebrows at James' comfortable position, still on Dawn's lap.  
  
"N- Nothing," Dawn stammered.  
  
James looked down at her with mock seriousness. "Come on, Kitten. You didn't really think we'd be able to keep this one between ourselves, did you? It's time to come clean."  
  
Dawn's head was shaking slowly, her eyes beginning to well with mortified tears. James winked swiftly at her before suddenly turning to Peter. "Wormtail, Dawn and I each stole one of your Honeydukes chocolate bars this morning," he hung his head as if in shame.  
  
Dawn had to fight to keep her relief from showing too obviously. "I'm sorry Peter. I couldn't resist."  
  
Peter blinked, getting the feeling he was missing something here. "That's ok. I can get more," he said.  
  
Dawn smiled brightly at James, looping an arm about his waist to express her gratitude discreetly. Sirius stomped on his jealousy of James' current position and turned to Remus and Peter. "What do we think, guys? Stacks on?"  
  
James and Dawn did not have time to scramble to safety. The other boys pounced on them, ending up in a wrestling pile of limbs as the chair toppled over, sending them all crashing to the floor. The five rolled across the floor knocking a group of third years from their seats in the process. Since they were already amongst it and had little chance of escape, the third years decided to join the impromptu free-for-all. Things deteriorated rapidly from there as more and more Gryffindors found themselves being wrestled to the floor whether they liked it or not.  
  
Dawn dived out of the path of two humungous seventh years, vaguely recognising one as Frank Longbottom, the Head Boy, and scrambled to her feet by the portrait hole. A moment later, Sirius and James popped up either side of her. The trio watched the melee they'd created in near disbelief.  
  
"It's like watching the snowball effect in action," said James in awe.  
  
"Either that or having front row seats for the Royal Rumble... bald, beer-drinking Texans aside," Dawn agreed.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Dawn frowned. "'Huh' what?"  
  
"How many bald, beer-drinking Texans are we talking, here?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Just the one," Dawn clarified, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Stone Cold Steve Austin, hello? You know, as in the wrestler. Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass and all that?"  
  
Sirius looked to James for help. James shrugged. Dawn sighed. "Never mind."  
  
Remus and Peter materialised beside them then, both looking a little worse for wear. "Let's get out of here," Remus suggested, ducking a stray shoe that had been sent flying across the Common Room like a missile.  
  
They scrambled out into the hallway, sparing an innocent shrug each for the fat lady as she demanded to know what all that racket was inside the Common Room.  
  
"We should go sit outside to eat," James said. "Soon it'll be too cold to."  
  
Remus immediately volunteered to go to the Kitchens for food, and Dawn set off with him, promising to meet the others out under the beech tree. Remus tickled the pear and a minute later he and Dawn were surrounded by chattering House-Elves.  
  
"Sir Moony has come! Sir Moony has come with Mistress Dawn!" they squealed. "So good it is for us House-Elves to be seeing Sir Moony and Mistress Dawn! We is so happy they is coming here, what may we being them?"  
  
Dawn smiled. "Hi guys. If it's not too much trouble, could you make up a picnic basket for us, please?"  
  
The House-Elves scrambled all over themselves to prepare a picnic basket overfilled with sandwiches, cakes and pumpkin juice, and a few minutes later Remus was hefting it into his grip. With one final grin at the House-Elves, they left the Kitchens and wandered up to the Entrance Hall, before stepping out into the pale, early October sunlight.  
  
They were crossing the grass, heading towards the tree and chattering aimlessly, until Remus' smile froze on his face. He stopped dead in his tracks, and Dawn had gone on for a few seconds more before she realised she was suddenly alone. She stopped and turned, a puzzled sort of smile on her face.  
  
"Rem? What's wrong?"  
  
Remus was shaking his head and muttering to himself, his smile long since faded and his gaze fixed ahead. "Bloody hell, not again."  
  
Dawn's own smile faltered. She turned and followed Remus' line of vision... right to James, Sirius and Peter. Peter was practically bouncing up and down on the spot in excitement as he watched James and Sirius closing in on a lone, dark-haired boy hunched over a book on the grass. Dawn knew it didn't exactly take a specialised Gringotts curse-breaker to figure out who that boy was...  
  
"Snape," she whispered.  
  
James' voice, usually so light and full of warm humour, rang out cold and hard across the Hogwarts grounds. "Oi- Snivellus? Sitting with all your friends again?"  
  
Snape shot to his feet, wand in hand. Sirius laughed, but it was a horrible, cruel sound, almost unrecognisable to Dawn from that usual rich chuckle, or the deep, bark-like sounds.  
  
"Jumpy little snake, aren't you?" Sirius sneered. "Don't know why you even bother, it's not like you've ever managed to get the best of us and it's not like you ever will."  
  
James chuckled, he let Snape get his wand raised to about chest height before he flicked his own almost lazily. "_Expelliarmus!_"  
  
A few people scattered across the lawn had looked up as James' spell sent Snape's wand flying, most of them abandoned whatever they were doing to come and watch. Snape scowled, his face twisting horribly with malice as he glared at James, who merely flashed him a cocky grin. Snape moved towards his fallen wand, but before he could take more than two steps, Sirius had taken aim and hit Snape with a jellylegs curse. Peter started cheering as the Slytherin wobbled back and forth on his unsteady legs.  
  
Dawn gasped in horror. What on earth did those boys think they were doing? To make matters worse, many of the students gathered around had started to laugh, which only seemed to encourage James and Sirius. Dawn watched Snape tottering about for some time, expecting with each passing second that her friends would perform the counter-curse, hand Snape his wand back, clap him on the shoulder and explain that it was all just a bad joke which had gone on a bit too long. But neither of them seemed remotely close to ending their game.  
  
"I'll get you," Snape whispered icily.  
  
James snorted. "Not with those legs, you won't."  
  
"Hmm," Sirius mused. "How about with these ones?"  
  
Dawn felt her heart skip a beat as Sirius finally muttered the counter-curse and freed Snape, but her relief was short-lived. Her stomach clenched painfully when she watched the boy she secretly (or not-so- secretly) adored replace the jellylegs curse on Snape with a leglocker. She turned to Remus, her eyes wide with an unrecognisable look. A frown line had creased his forehead deeply, but he had bitten his lip and was remaining silent.  
  
"Remus," she whispered urgently. "Do something."  
  
Blinking as if confused, Remus turned to stare at Dawn. "What?"  
  
"You're a Prefect, aren't you supposed to stop things like this?"  
  
The young werewolf cast his gaze downward. Those boys were the first, and besides Dawn, the best, most loyal and only friends he had. He knew this was wrong, he knew he should put a stop to it. And he wanted to, he really did, but... "I can't."  
  
"You won't... You're not going to help?" Dawn realised, a little of her horror extending to Remus now. Remus cringed in shame, but refused to answer.  
  
A little ways across the grass, James had got bored watching Snape try to hop towards his wand and freed him of the leglocker curse. The crowd let out a collective groan of disappointment that had Dawn visibly flinching. Sirius and James laughed at the antics of their audience.  
  
"Don't worry, we've got a new one to test out for you," James called. He flicked his wand. "_Depantsius!_"  
  
Almost instantly, the old trousers Snape wore were magically yanked down around his ankles, leaving the boy in a pair of ratty old underpants. Dawn's eyes welled with tears as the laughter of James, Sirius and Peter rose high above the rest of the crowd. She was starting to feel physically sick, her hand flew up to cover her mouth when Sirius sent an _'Impedimenta'_ at Snape, restraining him from redressing himself.  
  
Sirius turned to James. "You know, Prongs, for once I can't decide what about old Snivellus needs washing most- his hair, or those pants."  
  
James sniggered loudly. "I'm sure we can work something out, Padfoot mate."  
  
James stalked towards Snape, his eyes fixed squarely on his target, his face alive with enjoyment. Beside him, Sirius was grinning in anticipation. The images of all the evil things Dawn had ever seen or heard of flashed through her mind. Of all the vampires, demons, evil worshippers and Hellgoddesses she'd ever known, the behaviour of James and Sirius was reminding her of one in particular. The only one who could terrify her with a simple look...  
  
"Stop it!" she shrieked as a torrent of icy water came crashing down over the still-impeded Snape, drenching him completely.  
  
Several people stopped cheering, surprised by the distressed voice. Everyone turned to see Dawn standing not too far from the scene, her wide, horrified eyes brimming with tears, a couple flowing over to spill down to the hand still pressed to her mouth. Noticing that she and Remus had returned for the first time, James and Sirius simply brushed right by the shivering, humiliated Snape and went straight to Dawn. Peter trailed behind, his face still pink from his laughter.  
  
"Kitten? What's the matter?" Sirius asked, reaching a hand out to her.  
  
Dawn jumped back out of his reach, finally prying her hand from her mouth. "Don't touch me," she said quietly. Sirius blinked. She hadn't had any problems with him touching her last night. Before any of them could speak again, Dawn had turned and fled, sprinting towards the castle steps for all she was worth.  
  
"Dawn!?" James shouted after her, perplexed, but she did not stop. They watched her until she was out of sight and then James shrugged. "I really don't get her sometimes. We'll check on her later."  
  
Remus frowned at him. Most of the crowd had dispersed once it became apparent that the Gryffindors had tired of their game, and the Impedimenta charm had finally worn off Snape. He'd managed to pull his sodden pants back up, and had retrieved his wand. For a moment it seemed that the Slytherin would fire a curse at James' back, but then Sirius was watching him with such a steely glare that Snape had no choice but to lower his wand. He trudged back towards the castle, his feet making wet, squelching noises in his shoes.  
  
James was watching the look of mild disapproval crossing Remus' face. "What?"  
  
Remus arched an eyebrow. "Do you really need me to spell it out for you?"  
  
"What'd you get to eat?" James asked, hastily changing the subject. Remus sighed.  
  
It was a little over and hour later when the Marauders dropped the picnic basket back at the Kitchens and returned to their Common Room. They clambered through the portrait hole and looked up just in time to see a familiar head of long, brown hair trying to sneak up the girls' staircase.  
  
"Dawn?" Sirius called out, stopping her in her tracks.  
  
Dawn cringed but didn't turn around. She heard the boys come up behind her. A hand brushed softly down her arm, trying to get her attention. Dawn spun around sharply ignoring the slightly hurt look in Sirius' eyes as he was forced to pull his hand away from her. She folded her arms over her chest and glared expectantly at them, her eyebrows raised and her jaw set.  
  
"Ok, I guess you're pretty mad at us, then?" James offered after a moment of tense silence. "I'm not quite sure why, but."  
  
Remus made a pained face. Of all the stupid things James could have said, that was probably the worst. Sure enough, a look of pure disbelief was settling over Dawn's face, and the anger was mounting in her voice when she finally managed to speak.  
  
"You don't know why?" she almost growled. "You make a public display of practically torturing Snape, and you can't see why that would upset me!?"  
  
Sirius and James shared an uncomfortable look. This was the first time in five years at Hogwarts that anyone, let alone one of their friends, had actually spoken out against the way they treated Snape. Lily Evans aside, of course. They boys turned back to the girl before them, each trying his best to look innocent and harmless.  
  
"Come on Dawnie," Sirius cajoled. "Don't be upset with us. It was just a bit of fun."  
  
"Fun?" Dawn repeated, her face screwing up as if in pain. "That's the part that scares me most- you had fun," she whispered. She stared up at them a moment, then shook her head sadly before continuing. "I've seen some horrible things in my life, you all know that. But at least with most of it I could understand why. Vampires, demons, Mom's evil robot boyfriend Ted, they all attacked for a purpose, they hurt people as a means to an end- feeding, possession, power, ritual sacrifice to destroy the world..."  
  
James frowned, not liking what he was hearing at all. He and Sirius had just been having a little fun with Snivellus, as usual, and here Dawn was looking all horrified and talking about some of the most evil creatures in existence. But Dawn was not even close to finished.  
  
"You've all seen my boggart, you all know that the one creature I'm most terrified of is Angelus. And do you wanna know why that is? It's because I don't understand him. He didn't want to kill people just to feed, he just wanted to torment people because he enjoyed it... just like you enjoyed tormenting Snape today," she concluded, shaking her head in disgust.  
  
Sirius' stomach plummeted down around his knees. He had not just heard the girl he had a crush on (and Sirius Black did not get _crushes_) tell him saw the most terrifying demon she knew of when she looked at him. Had he? He tried again to reach out to Dawn, to get her to calm down and see that it wasn't so bad, but she wasn't having any of it.  
  
"Dawnie..."  
  
"Just leave me alone," she rushed out. And then she was gone, leaving four confused and upset boys in her wake.

* * *

Dawn sat on her bed, scrunched into a little ball as she played with Newman. The little teacup was mountaineering over the fingers of one hand while the others hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks.  
  
Not a moment too soon, as the door swung open and Lily strode into the dorms and deposited an armload of books on her bedside table. The redhead had been intent on ignoring Dawn, as had been the unspoken agreement between the two girls since their falling out over James, but then Lily actually caught a glimpse of Dawn. One look at Dawn's melancholy face. Her eyes rimmed just a little red to betray recent tears, and Lily softened. She drifted quietly over to Dawn's bedside, but Dawn didn't even blink. Lily bit her lip, wondering where to go from here.  
  
"You're really keeping that teacup as a pet?"  
  
Dawn glanced up at Lily, searching the Prefect for any signs of contempt or hostility, but she was actually offering a shy, almost nervous smile.  
  
"Well I suppose you don't have to feed him like you would a cat. And he certainly doesn't make as much mess as an owl," Lily continued, still trying her shy smile.  
  
Catching on, Dawn just nodded her head. "And even if I leave him for hours on end, he never gets very far."  
  
"He'd never get past the stairs anyway."  
  
"Well if he tries there's always the _Reparo_ charm."  
  
"Save you a fortune on vet bills, and he's quiet too."  
  
"No fleas, either."  
  
Lily giggled at that, and Dawn managed a weak smile. She shifted to better face Lily, who had tentatively perched on the edge of the bed. A moment of strangeness passed between the pair before Lily spoke again.  
  
"Dawn, are you alright?" she asked, her emerald green eyes warm with concern.  
  
Dawn shrugged non-committaly. No, she wasn't alright, she'd just told her best (and almost only) friends they disgusted her no end, but she couldn't tell that to Lily of all people. Dawn was so not in the mood for I-told-you-so's.  
  
"Look, Dawn," Lily persisted. "I know that we haven't exactly been the best of friends, but it would be really great if we could get along. Potter aside and all."  
  
A genuine smile crept onto the brunette's face. "I'd like that."  
  
"Great. Are you sure you don't want to talk?"  
  
Dawn shook her head. "I really don't want to talk about it. But Lily?... Thanks."  
  
Lily grinned as she hopped off Dawn's bed. "Don't mention it. You want to go see what Isabel's up to?"  
  
"Sure," Dawn slid off her bed and deposited Newman in the home she'd made for him at the bottom of her cupboard.  
  
Dawn spent the rest of the day with Lily and Isabel, and sat with them for dinner in the Great Hall that evening. Isabel and Lily exchanged a look, but said nothing as the Marauders walked by and Dawn pointedly looked away, refusing to acknowledge their existence. Dawn just sighed and picked absently at her food, the jumble of thoughts in her head causing it to ache. She spent that night, and all of Sunday huddled in a secluded corner of wither the Common Room or the Library, poring over the research that Professor Dumbledore had given her earlier that week. When she slid into the seat next to Lily Monday morning for Transfiguration, she looked as if she hadn't slept at all.  
  
Her mind was on Sunnydale the entire time the class was changing rabbits into cats, resulting in her black cat having a pair of extraordinarily large, almost vampiric fangs. Lily and Isabel were both trying (and failing) to cover their snickering at the unfortunate animal.  
  
"Could be worse- I could've given him horns," Dawn huffed.  
  
When the end of the lesson finally rolled around, Dawn took off for the Divination Tower at break-neck speed. At breakfast it had occurred to her that neither Lily or Isabel took Divination, so she'd need to get there quick enough to find a seat as far away from James and Sirius as possible.  
  
"Good day to you all," Professor Damus' voice drifted from a shadowy corner of the room, and a moment later the woman herself emerged. "The fates have indicated it is time for us to take a new approach to the noble study of Divination, my dears," she announced.  
  
Dawn heard the two loud snorts coming from somewhere behind her, and knew exactly who had made the sounds but stared determinedly at the Professor. Every time she happened to catch sight of either Sirius or James in the last couple of days, she felt the sudden urge to burst into tears.  
  
Glaring at the two boys who dared to make light of her words, Damus finally continued. "And so today we begin the exciting process of deciphering the symbols of our tealeaves! If everyone would please come and collect a cup we may soon begin."  
  
Dawn slid out of her seat and made her way with the rest of the class down to take a cup of tea, fighting the urge to roll her eyes as she did so. Tealeaves sounded way more ridiculous than Tara's palmistry or tarot readings. She was so distracted by the thoughts of Tara making a much better Divination teacher than Professor "Death-Stains-You-Miss-Summers" Damus that her hand closed around the same teacup that another hand had just latched onto. A hand Dawn knew all too well, one with a touch sending shivers down her spine even as she stood there. Her eyes widened as they flew up towards the pleading, puppy-dog gaze.  
  
"You take it," Sirius offered, hoping to soften the uncharacteristic hardness in those blue eyes.  
  
"It's fine," Dawn said shortly, quickly picking up a different cup and scurrying back to her seat.  
  
She drank her tea as quickly as possible until only the soggy leaves remained in the base of her cup. She looked at the shape and raised an eyebrow. A stake. It was a little squiggly, perhaps, but it was, to Dawn, most definitely a stake. It looked just like Mr Pointy. Dawn sighed, she really did have Sunnydale on the brain. Professor Damus drifted over to her.  
  
"Oh my dear, a wedge. A division between you and those you held dear, signifying that you are doomed to wander the world alone," the Professor whispered eerily.  
  
Dawn glared and fought the urge to hurl her cup at Damus.

* * *

The monotone of Professor Binns droned on and on, heedless of the many snores of his students that made his words impossible to decipher. James, Sirius and Peter were among those snoring the loudest, Remus was half-heartedly scribbling a few notes down. Isabel seemed to be playing hangman with the other two Gryffindor girls, Candice and Michelle, and even Lily could not force herself to pay attention to the lesson. She stared absently out the window, her chin resting on her hand and her eyelids drooping.  
  
Only Dawn was paying any considerable form of attention, she sat diligently recording every boring thing Binns said about the great Giant wars. Well, everything she could make out amongst all the snoring. She paused a moment to read over what she'd already taken down and froze. There were words scrawled across the parchment in her handwriting that she didn't remember actually writing.  
  
Remus spared a glance at Dawn, worried by the look on her face. She looked completely baffled, staring at her parchment as if she couldn't believe the words she was reading. Slowly, Remus leaned over as discreetly as he could and read the words over Dawn's shoulder.  
  
_I must be something so horrible to cause so much pain, and evil._  
  
The young lycanthrope sucked in air sharply as he looked at the statement. What in the name of Merlin was she on about? It took a few minutes of harder thought than anyone had ever attempted during a History of Magic lesson to figure out what it really was. Dawn's focus must be so fixed on Sunnydale that it was taking physical manifestations once more. Remus sighed, hoping Dumbledore's research contained something useful for Dawn, something to put her mind at ease.  
  
The lesson ended almost without Dawn realising, until Isabel tapped her shoulder. "Dawn? We're going to the Library now, do you want to come?"  
  
"Sure," Dawn agreed and stuffed her parchment into her bag. "Just let me go to the bathroom first and I'll meet you there."  
  
Dawn left for the bathroom, the strange sensation of being watched following her the entire way. Yet every time she looked over her shoulder, she could see nobody behind her. When she left the bathroom a few minutes later, the feeling of being watched returned full force. The little hairs on the back of Dawn's neck were standing on end.  
  
"God it better not be Malfoy," she muttered to herself, whipping around but once again finding no trace of another person in the corridor.  
  
She kept walking, only to find the person she least wanted to see appear at the other end of the hall, with no possible way to avoid him. Dawn stopped, stiffening as Lucius Malfoy's cold grey eyes fell on her and he smirked, stalking towards her like a predator closing in on its prey.  
  
Dawn's shaking hand groped in her robes for her wand, she was slowly backing away, prepared to run if things got out of her control, but Malfoy all of a sudden stopped. The smirk was wiped from his face, his eyes narrowed dangerously, but then he simply turned and strode off down a different corridor.  
  
It took Dawn a moment to realise that it certainly wasn't her fumbling for her wand that had scared Malfoy off, but by the time she turned around to look for her rescuers, the way appeared deserted. It didn't occur to Dawn that just because something wasn't visible, it didn't mean it wasn't there. She continued on to the Library, finding Lily and Isabel already seated at the table where Lily and Dawn had sat for their tutoring sessions. She grinned easily at them and pulled out the stack of parchment, prepared to go through the research yet again.  
  
The three girls worked silently for a while, Dawn too distracted by the feeling of being watched to notice the pointed look passing between her two companions. Finally, Lily took a deep breath and caught Dawn's attention.  
  
"Um, Dawn? Is and I were talking to Remus today in our Arithmancy lesson," Lily began.  
  
Dawn's eyebrows had hit her hairline before she could school her features. "Yeah?"  
  
Isabel gave her hand a quick pat. "Yeah, sweetie. He told us about what happened on Saturday. He mentioned you were pretty upset and that you weren't really talking to them anymore. Are you alright?"  
  
Dawn just shrugged, avoiding the two girls' gazes.  
  
"Personally, I think you're better off," Lily told her bracingly. "I mean, those boys are a really bad influence, especially Potter and Black. They're wild and arrogant and you're well shot of them, really."  
  
After the million and one sweet, caring beautiful moments she'd witnessed in each of those boys in the time she'd known them, Dawn couldn't bring herself to agree with that. In fact, she vehemently disagreed and felt a stab of loyalty for her friends. "That's not even close to it, Lily. They did a horrible thing and upset me, sure, but they're not bad at heart. You don't see all the good in them so don't judge them, alright?"  
  
Lily and Isabel blinked. Lily was about to argue when she was struck with the notion that it might, in Dawn's eyes at least, be the truth. There had to be something decent about them to inspire such loyalty, even from a friend currently not speaking to them. Except Potter. He really was just an arrogant git.  
  
"Ok then," Lily conceded.  
  
Dawn smiled, glad her little speech hadn't sparked another argument with the fiery redhead. "You think we should take our bags up to the dorm before dinner?" she suggested.  
  
"Why not? I'm not getting anything done anyway," Isabel announced, snapping her book closed. The girls gathered their belongings and left the Library, watched by four pairs of unseen eyes. A group of boys followed them from the Library, but turned off into an empty classroom at the first opportunity. A swish of shimmery material revealed James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, all looking uncharacteristically pensive.  
  
"Well that was informative," James murmured.  
  
"Way too informative for a Library," Peter replied. The others gave him a look. "What?"  
  
"Dolt," Sirius muttered. He'd been more than just a little short- tempered over the last couple of days, and Dawn's coldness towards him in Divination certainly hadn't done anything to improve his attitude.  
  
Remus flashed him a look that screamed 'settle down'. "Look, at least now we know for sure that she doesn't hate us," he said bracingly.  
  
"You didn't see the way she looked at me in Divination," Sirius retorted.  
  
"Yeah," James chimed in. "That was some glare, I thought she must've taken lessons from Evans for that one."  
  
Sirius scowled. "She doesn't hate us, she stands up to the Tigerlily and Isabel to defend us, but still she won't talk to m-us. I don't get women!"  
  
"Don't worry, Padfoot," Peter squeaked. "I never get women."  
  
Even Sirius managed to crack a smile at the way Peter's sentence came out. James was absolutely howling with laughter and Remus was patting an oblivious Peter sympathetically on the back.  
  
"I'm sure you'll get one, one day," James smirked. "Mundungus Fletcher was always telling me last year that they don't cost as much if you import from Russia."  
  
Remus shook his head. "Off topic."  
  
"What was the on topic, then?" James asked.  
  
"Dawn. And I've got an idea how we might make it up to her for being such complete jerks."  
  
"Go Moony!" Sirius cheered, suddenly heartened. "What do we do? Buy her flowers? Chocolates? More lingerie?"  
  
"No," Remus sighed. Sirius looked way too interested in the subject of Dawn and lingerie. "What's the one thing she wants more than anything else in the world?"  
  
"Even I know that one. She wants to see her sister again," Peter piped up.  
  
"So we find Buffy," James stated. "Great plan, Moony. Except for the several problems we've already encountered trying to do just that, and the fact that all the most relevant research is now in the possession of the girl who refuses to talk to us."  
  
"Ah," said Remus in a strange voice. "But what if all those things were no longer an problem? Buffy is ours for the finding, my friends..."  
  
A low growl escaped Sirius' throat. "Moony would you stop being so bloody mysterious and tell us what the hell we're supposed to do to get Dawn back!?"  
  
"Oh calm down, Padfoot," Remus snapped. "It's simple, really. I can't believe we didn't think of it right off. James, your Dad is mates with the people in the Muggle Relations department of the Ministry, right?"  
  
James nodded. His father worked in one of the highest ranking departments of the Ministry of Magic as an Auror, but he had many friends in a wide range of areas throughout the Ministry.  
  
"Great," continued Remus. "Send him an owl, tell him you're helping a friend out with a Muggle Studies assignment, and you've got to track down a muggle from any other country in the world."  
  
"How would that help?" Peter asked impatiently.  
  
Sirius looked about ready to thump Peter, just for the sake of thumping something. James' hand shot out to restrain him, just in case he couldn't control his violent urges while Remus patiently spelled his plan out for Peter.  
  
"James tells his Dad his friend is supposed to find this girl, Buffy Summers, from America, but we're stuck. We just hope to Merlin this dimension's Buffy hasn't moved out of the state and say we've tracked her as far as California, and we could really use a hand from his mates down in Muggle Relations to get an exact location."  
  
"Oh."  
  
James nodded. "I'll send the owl after dinner. But what do we do then? I mean, once we've located Buffy, how do we get Dawn to her, or her to Dawn? It's still the same old issues we're dealing with here," he pointed out yet again.  
  
Remus grimaced and glanced almost apologetically at his friends. "How far d'you lot reckon you'd be willing to go to get Dawn back on side?" he tested.  
  
"To the end of the world," Sirius replied, almost before Remus had even finished the question. James looked at his best friend out of the corner of his eye. Merlin, but wasn't Sirius smitten?  
  
"Ok," Remus sighed. "Put your begging faces on, boys. We're going to see McGonagall."  
  
**

* * *

**

**I know, I know. It was some of my worst work yet, I reluctantly offer it for your dissection. Anoron  
  
LIST OF PREVIOUS CHAPTER SOUNDTRACKS**

Prologue: Brave New World (Richard Ashcroft)

Chapter 1: Undertow (Ivy)

Chapter 2: Silence (Delirium/Sarah McLachlan)

Chapter 3: Business (Eminem)

Chapter 4: Sick Cycle Carousel (Lifehouse)

Chapter 5: Crush (Jennifer Paige)

Chapter 6: May It Be (Enya)

Chapter 7: 3AM (Matchbox Twenty)

Chapter 8: My Own Worst Enemy (Llt)  
  
PREVIEW (sort of...)

Chapter 9: Hang (Matchbox Twenty)  
_"Well I always say it'd be good to go away,  
Oh but if things don't work out like we'd think  
And there's nothing there to ease this ache,  
And if there's nothing there to make things change,  
If it's the same for you, I'll just hang."_  
  
... an old friend just might be popping up in this chapter... 3 guesses who... Anoron


	10. Hang

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Dawn (or any other Summers for that matter), I'm on the waiting list for my very own Sirius but alas I do not yet own him or the other Marauders/HP characters that may or may not pop up. Don't own 'Hang' either, Matchbox Twenty does (though I wouldn't mind my own Rob Thomas, either!)  
  
**Rating:** Still R/18 for future chapters and a few current mentioned concepts.  
  
**A/N:** Yeah, I've taken a little while with this one, I know. Bad me. Thing is my work thinks I go on uni holidays for the sole purpose of working more hours for them (bastards). Also had a few storyline issues, but I'm happy to say I think I've managed to resolve them, and it looks as if in future chapters I might be able to add a little more meat to this little Marauder stew I'm a-cookin' here. This chapter will probably be... not what you were all expecting when I first mentioned this possible story arc, so please feel free to let me know exactly what you think of it! Remember, it's not about things ending well, it's just about endings. (PS, I think a lot of you will really like what's coming up in chapter 10, just to keep you on the edge of your seats, and the next chapter I promise will be up by the end of the month at the latest!)  
  
**Reviewers, how I adore you all! Sonofgloin, Stacca, Summer Scythe, Lunawolf, Kat, eyexcandy, harmoni9, Mademoiselle Morte, Alan Pitt, Eleclya111, Prophetess of Hearts, xoulblade, Christa, magicfaerie, tals, RoseWill, Buffster3000, danceforfreedom, AnitaBlake/BuffyFan, GirlWhoLovesThisStory**  
  
CHAPTER NINE  
**Hang**  
  
"Miss Summers, may I see you in my office for a moment?" Professor McGonagall asked, her tone, as always, leaving no room for argument.  
  
Dawn blinked. Her first instinct was to blurt 'I didn't do it', whatever it was, but she held her tongue. Nodding her assent, Dawn scrambled to snatch up her bag and follow her head of House out of the Great Hall. She was so busy trying to figure out what she could possibly be in trouble for (life without her friends was much more compliant with the rules) that she didn't notice those four friends slipping away from the Gryffindor table after her.  
  
McGonagall ushered Dawn into a seat in front of her desk before settling into the one behind it. The Transfiguration teacher picked up an envelope that had been lying on her desk and studied it for the longest time.  
  
Dawn let a couple of minutes tick by in silence before her patience waned. "Professor- what-?" she began, but was silenced with a look.  
  
"A few evenings ago, Miss Summers, I was visited by four of your fellow Gryffindors. Friends of yours, I believe. Now, they thought it best they not inform me of the particulars of the situation, but two at least were very adamant that they owed you an apology."  
  
"I don't understand, Professor. What do you mean?" Dawn stammered, knowing perfectly well who the four Gryffindors in question were but having no clue as to what they were on about with all this.  
  
"Your friends wished to make you a peace offering, for which they requested my assistance... though perhaps this may explain the situation better than I can," McGonagall said with a faint smile, finally passing the envelope over to Dawn.  
  
Dawn turned the envelope over in her hands for a few seconds, before ripping into it and pulling out a short letter.  
  
_Our dearest Kitten,  
  
We overheard what you said to Lily and Isabel in the Library on Monday and we wanted to say thanks. After the prats we acted like, we really don't deserve your loyalty and we're sorry we upset you like that. (We're gonna try real hard to stop hexing Snivellus- Marauder's honour!) To show you just how sorry we are, and how much we care, we tracked Buffy down for you. And whenever you feel ready, Professor McGonagall has promised to take you to see her. Please accept this as our apology, Dawn, we hate having you mad at us.  
  
Yours always,  
Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot & Prongs._  
  
Dawn re-read the words twice through the tears clouding her vision. She looked up at McGonagall questioningly, scarcely daring to believe it could be true. McGonagall just nodded her head towards something just over Dawn's shoulder. She turned to see James, Sirius, Remus and Peter standing just inside the door to McGonagall's office, all aiming 'don't hate me' grins at her.  
  
James was closest. Dawn leapt out of her chair and hurled herself into his arms, feeling them wrap around her protectively.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered into his chest.  
  
"It was our pleasure, Kitten," he said, rubbing her arms affectionately. The sounds of three boys clearing their throats pointedly startled Dawn and James apart.  
  
That familiar, 'good, down-low tickle-' as Fait described it, fluttered through the lower regions of Dawn's tummy a moment later when Sirius put his arms gently around her and kissed her cheek with feather- light lips. Oh yeah, she was a-goner.  
  
"Missed you so much," she'd murmured into his ear before she could stop herself.  
  
His response was to kiss her cheek again, dangerously close to the corner of her mouth. Over Dawn's shoulder, James recognised the almost predatory glint in his best friend's eye and knew at once what it meant. It meant that Sirius Black wanted Dawn Summers. And Sirius usually got what he wanted, especially when it came to girls, and especially now it seemed he was back in with a chance with Dawn.  
  
"Think we could get a 'hello' in sometime today?" a dry voice asked a minute later, when Sirius still hadn't let go of Dawn. Sirius shot Remus a dirty look as Dawn disentangled herself from his embrace, grinning broadly as she rushed to catch both Remus and Peter in a tight hug.  
  
"This is so amazing, I can't believe you guys did this for me!" Dawn squealed, practically dancing on the spot in her excitement.  
  
"Do I take this to mean I shall soon be supervising a short trip to muggle America?" Professor McGonagall asked, breaking in on the friendly reunion before Sirius could try to kiss Dawn a third time.  
  
Dawn nodded happily. "Yes. Yes please, Professor!"  
  
"Very well. But there will be several ground rules you must be made aware of before we go anywhere," the Professor warned.  
  
Dawn slid obediently back into her seat, listening intently. If it meant she got to visit her sister in any way, shape or form, she'd listen to McGonagall's ground rules all night long.  
  
"Firstly, and this is very important, if we come across Buffy Summers, you may observe her as much as you like, but do not, I repeat, do not initiate contact with her," McGonagall lectured, her eyes piercing into Dawn's.  
  
Dawn's face fell. She wasn't even allowed to _talk_ to Buffy? It was like having all the diamonds in the world dangling in her reach, only to have them yanked cruelly away at the last second. Not even attempting to hide her disappointment, Dawn just nodded glumly while she tried to bite back her emotions from spilling over in the middle of the office.  
  
Seeing her disappointment, McGonagall softened a little. "You must understand, your sister in this world most likely has no knowledge of what muggles call the supernatural. It would be dangerous to have you in direct contact with her, you are in danger of accidentally disclosing far too much information."  
  
Again, Dawn nodded and fought bravely for her composure. "Yeah, she'd probably wind up thinking I was a total nutcase," she joked feebly, while Sirius rubbed her back to comfort her. "Ok the, what's ground rule number two?"  
  
"We can arrange a Port-Key to the Campus where Miss Summers attends University, but it will be on a strict time-frame. Three hours, and then we will be returned to Hogwarts. And do not for one moment think you will ever be leaving this castle again should you fail to return with that Port- Key!"  
  
Dawn gulped. "Yes, Professor."  
  
"Naturally, you're expected to catch up on any class work missed while you're away, and no you won't be exempt from any assignments set in that time."  
  
Dawn shrugged. No surprises there.  
  
Finally, McGonagall's gaze flickered to the four boys, all crowded behind Dawn's chair looking incredibly pleased with themselves for what they'd done. Deep down, McGonagall couldn't help but think they had every right to look so smug. Still, she had her reservations of about this next part of their little plan.  
  
"Also," she sighed. "You and I will be joined by two of your friends here. Mr. Potter and Mr. Black have insisted they accompany you to see Miss Summers... and they've promised to behave themselves under the threat of receiving detention from now until the end of their days at Hogwarts," she reminded James and Sirius harshly.  
  
Dawn twisted in her seat to look up at them. They were really coming with her? James was grinning that eternally boyish grin of his. "As if we wouldn't be there for this, Kitten."  
  
Dawn smiled. She turned a questioning glance to Remus and Peter, wondering if they'd be able to come too, but Remus shook his head.  
  
"Someone's got to stay behind and get all your assignments. Peter and I volunteer," he grinned, enjoying the sight of Dawn whole-heartedly returning the smile. The disappointment and horror her eyes had held towards him when she realised he was too weak to stand against his friends was no look that Remus would be able to forget for a very long time.  
  
McGonagall cleared her throat to regain her students' attention. "I believe that covers everything. Have you any idea when you'd like to go, Miss Summers?"  
  
Dawn stood up, ready to leave that very moment. The professor chuckled. "We can't leave right now," she said.  
  
Dawn pouted and sank back into her seat.  
  
"Well, I shall organise this for as soon as possible. What classes do the three of you have on Friday afternoon?"  
  
"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," Dawn supplied, suppressing the urge to add 'so nothing important, really.'  
  
It seemed, however, that McGonagall shared her unspoken sentiments. "Well if Mr. Lupin and Mr. Pettigrew here can pass on their notes from Care of Magical Creatures to you, I'm sure your studies will not suffer if we activate the Port-Key on Friday after lunch. Now it is getting late, the five of you need to return to your Common Room. Unless you had any further questions?"  
  
Sirius had one, and was not afraid to voice it. "I've got a question- Dumbledore's let Dawn leave the school twice now without permission because she doesn't have a guardian. Does this mean she gets to come on the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend, too?"  
  
Dawn blinked. A Hogsmeade weekend? What was that, and how was it different from a regular weekend? McGonagall arched an eyebrow at Sirius.  
  
"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore," she said briskly, waving them all out of her office.  
  
They stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind them. For a moment the reunited friends just looked at each other, unsure of what to do next. Then the grins broke onto their faces simultaneously, and Dawn knew just what was coming. Before James could even finish bellowing "group hug!" Dawn had held her arms out and let the boys crash into her.  
  
They remained pleasantly tangled together until a loud, disdainful voice interrupted them. "I hope the two of you plan to bathe after rubbing against all that filth, Potter, Black."  
  
The Gryffindors sprang apart and rounded on the intruders. There were two of them. One was Lucius Malfoy. The other, the one who had spoken, was not a student. He was far too tall and mature-looking, and something about him seemed to Dawn even more dark and intimidating than Malfoy. James and Sirius had both gone rigid, and Remus had tensed as well. Peter edged back just a little, and Dawn noticed that the other boys were trying discreetly to get between her and the older people before them.  
  
"What's your problem, Lestrange?" Sirius growled.  
  
"Well," the man called Lestrange returned in a cold, deep voice. "My problem, Black, is purebloods like yourself and your boyfriend Potter here who can't get it in their heads who they should and shouldn't be associating with. Just look at you- all wrapped up in the half-blood, the pathetic, flabby little Squib, and the little Mudblood whore!"  
  
"You mind your tongue, Lestrange!" Sirius yelled. He, James and Remus had pulled their wands, but so had Lestrange and Malfoy, who did not seem at all threatened even though they were outnumbered by the younger wizards. The Slytherins, current and graduated, studied the group coolly, and Dawn shuddered as she felt not one, but two sets of cold eyes raking over her body appraisingly.  
  
"I see what you mean, Lucius," Lestrange finally smirked. "As far as pieces of Mudblood trash go, I could definitely use that one before I discarded it."  
  
Dawn couldn't help the waves of fear and disgust that crashed over her. Staring into the dark eyes of that man, she just knew he wasn't bluffing. He'd violate her and walk away untroubled by it just as easily as Malfoy would. She unconsciously sidled over until her body was shielded by Sirius'.  
  
"We'll break any part of your body that ever touches her," James swore, his voice low and deliberate, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Beside him, Sirius was too livid for words. Remus was also silent, but his amber eyes had hardened and his wand was steady in his hand. Even Peter had begun to look angry, though his wand was still held limply by his side.  
  
Lestrange was actually chuckling. He turned to his companion and spoke conversationally, as if the Gryffindors weren't even there. "You know, I think we've struck a nerve, Lucius. Perhaps they don't like sharing their little whore amongst anyone other than themselves."  
  
Malfoy smirked evilly. "Perhaps we might have to convince them to be a little more... forthcoming."  
  
"You son of a-" Sirius burst out. He'd forgotten his wand, he tried to hurl himself at the two pigs before him who would dare speak about Dawn that way, but he was held back. Dawn had a hold of the back of his robes, and Remus had seized his arm. In his place, James stepped up to the openly laughing Lestrange and Malfoy.  
  
"No!" Dawn hissed as James' wand swished through the air. He managed to catch himself mid-flick as the door to McGonagall's office swung open behind them.  
  
"What is going on out here!?" the Deputy Headmistress snapped, glaring at the group. Her eyes locked onto the ex-student, who'd hastily checked his laughter when she appeared on the scene. "Mr. Lestrange, what brings you back to Hogwarts unannounced?" she asked, a hint of coolness in her voice.  
  
Lestrange smiled, though it looked sickeningly fake. "Professor McGonagall, how nice to see you again. I've come to visit my brother Rodolphus, there are, er... certain family issues of a delicate nature which we much discuss in person. Lucius was good enough to escort me to the Slytherin Common Room," he said smoothly.  
  
"In future, please visit Professor Dumbledore's office before you take it upon yourself to wander about the school. We can't have just anyone waltzing on in, ex-student or not," McGonagall responded, not even bothering with the fake-polite tones.  
  
"Yes ma'am. May I go with Lucius now?" Lestrange returned politely.  
  
"Off you go then."  
  
The Transfiguration Professor watched Malfoy and Lestrange until they rounded the corner at the end of the hall, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. A moment later, she shook her head and turned to the students she'd dismissed some time before. "What are you just standing there for? Get back to your Common Room," she snapped.  
  
Knowing better than to cross McGonagall when she was in this kind of mood, the five scurried off to the Gryffindor Common Room. The room was virtually deserted, save for a few sixth and seventh years, as well as Isabel, who waved but pretended not to notice as Dawn followed hr friends straight up the boys' staircase. Peter barely had time to close the door before pandemonium reigned in the dorm. Even Remus was yelling. Dawn hadn't even known he was capable of it before this.  
  
"Son of a bitch! I'll hex him straight back to hell!" Sirius was growling, clenching his fists as if he'd throw a punch at the next person to look at him sideways.  
  
"Unbelievable!" James fumed. "How dare he say all that stuff about us. Nobody insults a Marauder and gets away with it!"  
  
"You know what he was here for- visiting his brother my arse!" Remus snapped. Dawn's eyebrows hit her hairline. Remus Lupin yelling and swearing all in the one sentence? This must be big. His outburst certainly had the attention of the other boys.  
  
"What do you mean, Moony?" James asked.  
  
Remus was pacing. "There was no family business for Lestrange to take care of- think about it. Why would he be running around the school with Malfoy in that case, and since when did the walk from the Entrance Hall down to the Slytherin Common Room involve the corridor where McGonagall's office is?"  
  
"And again, what do you mean?" James repeated, but Dawn has a sinking feeling that she understood what Remus was getting at. Something to do with that dark, intimidating vibe rolling off Lestrange.  
  
"Well," Remus leaned in conspiritually. "I think that Lestrange might be one of V-Voldemort's Death Eaters."  
  
Peter squeaked.  
  
"Makes sense," Sirius nodded. "And I bet Malfoy is too, and they were having a meeting about whatever Voldemort's latest power-scheme is."  
  
Even though her mind was bombarded with thoughts and questions about what the probable Death Eaters could be up to (and if it was about the Key) Dawn managed to grin proudly at Sirius. That was the first time she'd heard him say 'Voldemort' without stuttering. Peter was staring up at him in awe and both James and Remus had raised their eyebrows.  
  
But Dawn was busy thinking again. "Lestrange... he said his brother was Rodolphus... that creepy Slytherin in Potions who's always staring at your equally creepy cousin?" she asked Sirius.  
  
Sirius snorted. "That's the one, Kitten. The elder is Rabastan, he left Hogwarts the same year as my cousin Andi. He asked her out a few times, too, but let's just say he had even less luck than Prongsie's had with the Tigerlily."  
  
Dawn giggled. James let out an indignant "Hey!"  
  
"Something's definitely up with those guys," Remus sighed. "But I don't think we're going to be figuring anything out tonight, it's late. Come on, let's get some sleep."  
  
"Ok. Goodnight then," Dawn returned, making to head out the door.  
  
"Where d'you think you're going?" James called in a gleeful, sing- song voice.  
  
Dawn stopped and turned back. The boys were all staring pointedly at her. She shrugged. "But I haven't got anything to sleep in."  
  
"I don't mind."  
  
Remus elbowed Sirius, hard, prompting him to hastily change his tune. "I mean, I'll get you something."  
  
Sirius snatched up a long-sleeved, button-down shirt and tossed it at Dawn. Admitting defeat, and truthfully not minding it in the least, she slipped into the bathroom to get undressed. By the time she emerged a few minutes later, the boys were all already changed and settled in their beds and the lights had been dimmed. She hesitated a moment, wondering if it would be too forward of her to go straight to Sirius, but it seemed he'd already made room for her. The covers were still turned down, waiting for her, and Sirius patted the mattress.  
  
"C'mon Kitten, you'll freeze wandering around in just that," he smirked.  
  
Dawn flushed and hurried to slide in next to him, her uniform left on the bedside table. The shirt he'd given her, to say the least, was rather short. She lay on her side so she could face him, and Sirius rolled over so he was facing her, closing a fair amount of the gap between them in the process. A few minutes of silence ticked by.  
  
"I am sorry about upsetting you," Sirius finally whispered.  
  
Dawn smiled, refusing to let negative thoughts enter her head tonight. "I know. Let's just forget about it, ok?"  
  
"I could deal with that."  
  
"Hey, what's a Hogsmeade weekend, anyway?" Dawn murmured, remembering the question he'd asked McGonagall earlier in the evening.  
  
"They're great Dawnie, you're going to love them. Hogsmeade weekends are when students get to go down to the village for the day on Saturday, and then after dinner, fifth, sixth and seventh years get to go back to the Three Broomsticks. That's a pub, but for Hogsmeade nights they turn it into a club. Prongs and I snuck into one last year, it was brilliant," Sirius grinned.  
  
"Neat. But what does everyone do in the village all day?" Dawn pressed.  
  
Sirius shrugged in the darkness. "Visit the shops and all that. Go to the Three Broomsticks, or the Hog's Head if you want something stronger than butterbeer... It's the only entirely magical settlement left in Britain, you know," he rushed on before she could reprimand him over the underage alcohol consumption reference. "There's also the Shrieking Shack- legend has it it's the most haunted building in Britain," he finished with a derisive laugh.  
  
"But," Dawn prodded at his tone.  
  
"Well," Sirius smirked. "The thing is, it's only been standing for five years, and all the terrifying ghostly noises coming from within it occur only once a month, on the night of the full moon, and it always sounds suspiciously like a wolf..."  
  
"Ah," said Dawn knowingly. "So _that's_ what all the scary noises are."  
  
"I'm not scary," grumbled a sleepy voice from across the dorm.  
  
"Course not, Remus," they chorused back, trying not to laugh.  
  
"Would you two shut up and go to sleep?" James called a minute later.  
  
Dawn and Sirius, like chastised children, reluctantly settled down, avoiding each other's gaze lest they burst into wild giggles. A moment later, James' hand shot out accusingly, pointing at his best friend's bed.  
  
And keep your hands where I can see them!"

* * *

_"What news, Rabastan?" a high, cold voice demanded.  
  
A figure, robed in black, his face masked in white, bowed slightly. "My Lord. If this 'Key' is at Hogwarts, the old fool Dumbledore has hidden it well. Neither myself, nor my informant have yet been able to locate it."  
  
A tall, lean figure swept closer to Rabastan, red eyes narrowed dangerously. "You disappoint me, Rabastan. If you ail to produce this energy source soon, I shall be forced to punish you. You wouldn't like that, would you? Though often I find pain can be... quite the motivator..."  
  
Rabastan cowered a little. "My Lord-"  
  
"Silence!" Voldemort hissed "I must have the Key. We know almost nothing of it, only that it is a previously unheard of source of mystical energy which has somehow appeared at that asinine school. But the power, oh they say its power is a thing of glory. With that power and that power alone, I would be unstoppable. Now, Rabastan, do you understand why I will not tolerate your failure?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord. I will not fail you, I swear," Rabastan grovelled, only to be cut off once more.  
  
"See that you don't," said Voldemort silkily. "But what other news, what of our potential recruits? Your informant- is he loyal?"  
  
Rabastan nodded eagerly. "Yes my Lord, he is loyal. He will come to serve you well, as will many others currently trapped at Hogwarts. There is but one concern for most of them- Albus Dumbledore. Many remain loyal to your noble cause, but most are reluctant to enter into formal service right under Dumbledore's nose... they simply bide their time until they may join and serve you, my Lord."  
  
Voldemort seemed to muse over the point for a long while. "Most are reluctant?" he finally asked.  
  
"Well," Rabastan shrugged. "I know of at least one who would take great pride in accepting the Dark Mark, and would probably relish sporting it right under the old fool's nose."  
  
The red of Voldemort's eyes lit up. "I am curious. Perhaps you should, when chance allows, bring this person to meet with me, He and I will have much to discuss."  
  
"She'd be delighted, I'm sure," Rabastan responded with one final bow.  
  
Voldemort's eyebrows rose slightly. She?_

* * *

Dawn bolted upright, breathing heavily. She wasn't sure what had woken her, but she vaguely thought she'd been dreaming. Something about red eyes, dark and intimidating presences, and a sense of danger and foreboding that she couldn't quite shake even in her conscious state. Beside her, Sirius had stirred, jolted awake when the arm he'd thrown across her in sleep was bucked off by her sudden waking movements.  
  
He sat up slowly beside her, blinking sleep out of his eyes. "Dawn? What's wrong?"  
  
Dawn's breathing calmed, she turned her head to look at him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I was dreaming."  
  
"Another nightmare?" he gently brushed her hair back off her forehead.  
  
"I don't think so. I can't really remember. Whatever it was, I don't think it was a good dream, anyway. But not really a nightmare, I guess," Dawn frowned. The elusive memories were tickling at the edge of her conscious mind, dancing just out of her reach. She sighed. A pair of strong hands settled on her shoulders and eased her back down onto the pillows.  
  
Before she knew what was happening, she was laid out on the bed, Sirius leaning over her. He'd stretched one arm out to the mattress beside her head to brace himself, keeping his full weight from pressing on her, but Dawn could still feel a large degree of contact and her skin was tingling with it.  
  
"It's late, Dawnie. Try and get some more sleep, ok?" Sirius whispered.  
  
"Ok," Dawn breathed, wondering how she was supposed to close her eyes when they were already caught up in getting her gaze lost in his. Her heart thudded painfully as he lowered his head towards hers, her breath caught in her throat as his lips came within moments, millimetres of closing in over hers. Something in her mind exploded.  
  
"Rabastan," she gasped. Sirius had been so close that her lips grazed his with their movement.  
  
Sirius jerked back as if he'd been slapped. Well, that there was more effective than a cold shower. But Dawn's eyes had widened, she'd propped herself up on her elbows and began whispering urgently.  
  
"My dream- I just remembered. It was Rabastan Lestrange, he really is a Death Eater, he was talking to Voldemort. They're looking for the Key, Sirius. They're looking for me," she almost whimpered.  
  
"They'll never hurt you, I promise. We'll tell Dumbledore first thing, don't worry," he soothed, shifting himself into a more appropriate position now that his moment to strike had passed.  
  
"He's got a spy here, he's trying to recruit people at Hogwarts to become Death Eaters," Dawn continued.  
  
Sirius nodded. "We'll tell Dumbledore," he repeated. "It'll be ok."  
  
Dawn tried to relax, but for the rest of the night she slept only fitfully. She spent most of it lying awake, playing absently with Sirius' fingers as he slept peacefully beside her, one arm again slung protectively across her. When the day broke, she crept unnoticed back to her own dorm.  
  
Professor Dumbledore had been most interested to hear of Dawn's dream, he'd spent half an hour before breakfast questioning her over exactly what she'd heard Voldemort and Rabastan Lestrange say. Dawn recounted the conversation as accurately as she could remember it.  
  
"Hmm," Dumbledore said softly, frown lines creasing his forehead. "Are you certain you heard no names of students mentioned?" he asked for the fifth time.  
  
Dawn nodded. "Certain, Professor. Just Rabastan Lestrange. Will he be caught? What's going to happen to him?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled gently at her, but there was little humour in it. "Professor McGonagall mentioned her concerns regarding Mr. Lestrange last night. But as one suspicious arrival at Hogwarts and the dream of a fifth year Gryffindor are hardly the most incriminating pieces of evidence, there is little I can do beyond sending a letter to the Ministry of Magic suggesting they keep an eye on him."  
  
Dawn faltered. Right, laws to follow and all that. How frustrating. She was used to Buffy's method of find the bad guys and pummel them. Messier, but generally more effective. "Oh. Ok then. But what about the students? If we can figure out who they are, maybe we can stop them from ever joining Voldemort outright, and-"  
  
Dumbledore held up a hand to quiet the girl. Dawn snapped her mouth closed, mentally chastising herself for the babbling. But the Headmaster looked more heartened and amused than annoyed.  
  
"Please, my dear, enough of this worrying about that which you cannot hope to control. Instead I think it best you concentrate on matters more relevant to yourself at this time. Such as the short trip to America which shall be taking place this Friday," he chuckled.  
  
Dawn's whole face lit up, causing the Headmaster's chuckles to deepen a little. How he enjoyed seeing happiness in his students. "If yourself, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black would care to join me here after lunch on Friday, you'll be Port-Keyed to America with Professor McGonagall. Now off you go, Dawn. We can't have you missing breakfast."  
  
Dawn grinned. "Thanks Professor."  
  
"My pleasure. And Miss Summers? I do hope you enjoy your Hogsmeade weekends as well."  
  
Dawn couldn't wipe the grin from her face as she practically bounced along to the Great Hall for breakfast, her upset over dreaming of Voldemort somewhat soothed just by letting Dumbledore know. She spotted her friends at the Gryffindor table, and plopped into a seat between Sirius and Peter.  
  
"Good morning," she chirped.  
  
Sirius arched an eyebrow. "You're awfully chirpy for someone who spent half the night tossing and turning, and then was up and off at first light." The other boys smirked at the several surrounding people who'd done double-takes as they misinterpreted Sirius' mostly innocent observation. Dawn shrugged.  
  
"I went to see Dumbledore this morning, about the dream I had last night," she said quietly.  
  
James nodded. "Yeah, Sirius told us about that. Why didn't you wait for one of us to go with you, Kitten?"  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Not completely useless you know, _Prongs_. Besides, I woke up before all you guys and I wanted to go before I forgot any major details. And guess what? Dumbledore said we can go see Buffy this Friday afternoon."  
  
The boys all grinned, enjoying Dawn's obvious excitement. "That's great," Remus told her, setting a full plate in front of her. "Now you'd better get to work on that breakfast or you'll be late for class."  
  
Resigned to the care of her occasionally over-protective friends, Dawn did not bother to argue but simply started in on her breakfast.

* * *

Dawn glanced nervously up at Sirius and James as they rode the moving staircase up to Dumbledore's office. The trio were dressed in muggle clothing, but had concealed their wands on themselves for the trip to America. James and Sirius each held one of Dawn's hands as they walked in to meet the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress.  
  
"Ah. Just in time," Dumbledore waved them in. "The Port-Key activates in just a few minutes. Do you understand that you have only three hours in which to observe Buffy Summers, and that you must avoid any direct contact with her?"  
  
The trio nodded as one. Dumbledore smiled. "Excellent."  
  
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, a ladies' hat held in her hand, which she offered to her students. Dawn took a hold of the hat's brim and the boys quickly joined her.  
  
"Enjoy your trip," Dumbledore said by way of farewell, looking at his watch. "Five, four, three, two, one..."  
  
Dawn felt the jerk behind her navel, and a split second later Dumbledore's office had swirled away in a haze of blurred colour and rushing air. Crisp colours and a stretch of bright blue sky bombarded her senses, Dawn's feet slammed into the pavement and she automatically latched onto the nearest body to keep herself upright. She looked up to see who she'd grabbed and hastily pulled away.  
  
"Sorry, Professor," she mumbled, blushing.  
  
McGonagall raised an eyebrow as she straightened the muggle dress she wore. "Quite alright, Miss Summers. Port-Keys take some getting used to."  
  
The two boys were gaping openly at their surroundings, completely awed to be in America, even though the only sight to greet them was the open dumpster of the ally they'd landed in.  
  
"Is California always this... bright?" James asked, wrinkling his nose and squinting in the sunlight. Dawn fought the urge to giggle. She'd never realised exactly how pale her friends' skin was, until she'd seen them in the full brightness of a glaring California day.  
  
"I don't remember it being this bright, actually," Dawn mused. Then again, the California she'd left behind had been one riddled with pain and fear and darkness.  
  
"Come on," said McGonagall. "We really don't have all day." The three students followed their Professor out of the ally, finding themselves practically on top of the UCLA Campus. They followed the signs until they reached the Administration building, and McGonagall halted them all with a stern look.  
  
"I'm going in here to find out exactly which class Miss Summers is in at the moment. Wait over there by that tree, and DO NOT MOVE UNTIL I RETURN. Is that clear?" Sirius was already raising his hand to salute, but Dawn intercepted him, catching his hand and holding it down by his side.  
  
"Very clear, Professor," Dawn said before turning to head straight for the tree McGonagall had pointed at. Sirius, his hand still caught in Dawn's and himself unwilling to break the contact, had no choice but to follow obediently. A grinning James joined them. The trio stood, looking around and trying to appear as inconspicuous as three unsupervised fifteen year-olds could on a College Campus. The minutes dragged by, but still there was no sign of McGonagall's return.  
  
"What's taking so long?" Dawn sighed, her entire being radiating tension and impatience. "All she needs is a class schedule!"  
  
Sirius rubbed her back soothingly. Then an idea popped into his head. "Maybe they wouldn't give it to her, and she's gone and lost her temper way worse than usual. You know, like the time we turned all the spaghetti into worms? And now she's busy performing counter-curses and memory charms to fix all the damage she's done in a rage!" he said, quite proud of his theory.  
  
James blinked. "Padfoot?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Whatever you're on, can I have some?"  
  
"Prongs?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Go and get f-"  
  
"Lady present."  
  
James' quick reminder brought Sirius' sentence grinding to a halt in its tracks. He shot an apologetic glance at Dawn, but he needn't have bothered. She'd forgotten the boys even existed, she was staring down the path, her face creased into a half-smile, her eyes alight with wonder.  
  
"Buffy," she breathed.  
  
Immediately, James and Sirius whipped around to look. A young woman was heading their way, with a few books and papers gathered in her arms. The three teens stared, taking in the mass of wavy blond hair, the delicate features of her face, and the tiny, almost dancer's build bathed in golden- brown skin. The boys frowned in concentration as they watched Buffy Summers walking closer to their tree, apparently unaware of all the attention she was receiving. Though she really looked nothing like the slender brunette by them longing to pounce on her and hug her to death, the boys could sense the vague familiarity, even between this version of Buffy and Dawn.  
  
"I wish I could talk to her. Not to tell her who I am or anything, but just to say something... anything so she would see me... so she'd know I exist," Dawn whispered, leaning forwards as Buffy went to pass them.  
  
Sirius and James shared a look. With the perfect timing that could be mastered only by the two of them, they shoved Dawn bodily into Buffy and disappeared behind their tree, peeking around the trunk to watch the show. Dawn went crashing into Buffy and the two girls tumbled to the pavement, scattering Buffy's belongings in the process. Dawn whimpered as Buffy glared at her. Oh, if she got out of this alive those boys were so going to pay.  
  
"Walk much?" Buffy snapped.  
  
Dawn's eyes clouded over, her mouth was hanging open in horror. She had a lot of childhood memories of that icy voice, and the superior, hollow look in the blond's eyes, before Buffy was called as the Slayer. When she spent her life acting like a world-class 'Spordelia'. She didn't want to believe this could be real, that if she'd never been called, Buffy was destined to remain a snooty valley-girl forever. Buffy arched an eyebrow as the seconds ticked by, and still the younger girl remained gazing stupidly at her, as if her brain had shut down on her or something.  
  
"Hey? What's your damage, anyway?" she tried, snapping her fingers in front of Dawn's face. Dawn jolted back into focus.  
  
"S-sorry," Dawn stammered, ordering herself not to cry. "I didn't mean to. The pushed me," she explained lamely, looking around for the culprits but finding that they'd mysteriously disappeared. Invisibility Cloak, or just classic Marauder style?  
  
Buffy huffed, and then to Dawn's amazement, she seemed to soften into something remotely resembling the Buffy Dawn knew and loved. A sparkle brought her eyes to life, and a small but genuine smile curved her lips upwards. "I guess it's ok. I've been needing an excuse to shop for new jeans anyway. Were they boys who pushed you? Boys can be real jerks some- no, scratch that, MOST of the time."  
  
Dawn giggled. The tree behind her had just huffed indignantly. Twice. "They really can," she agreed, raising her voice to carry to the two fiends behind the tree.  
  
Buffy, having dusted herself off as much as possible, was busy gathering up all the books and papers she'd dropped and Dawn scrambled to help her. Sirius smiled to himself as he watched Dawn working with this variation of her sister, his mind suddenly drifting to Regulus and his own bittersweet feelings about his sibling.  
  
"Thanks," the elder said as the two girls stood. They locked gazes for a minute and Buffy's eyes widened suddenly, as if in recognition of the girl before her. "Hey, don't I know you? I know it's weird, but I feel like I've met you before or something."  
  
"No, we haven't met," Dawn squeaked out, a little too quickly to be casual.  
  
Buffy's forehead creased in thought. "Really? You sure? What's your name?"  
  
"Dawn Summers."  
  
Dawn froze. Oh God, oh no... she hadn't, had she? This was it, McGonagall would kill her for sure. It was official: Dawn Summers was the stupidest person alive. Even the tree behind her was groaning at her stupidity.  
  
"No kidding!" Buffy bubbled. "Wow! My name's Buffy Summers, how uber-wiggy is that?"  
  
Thanking the Goddesses that Buffy truly was a blond, Dawn forced herself to smile and raise her eyebrows in feigned surprise. "Really? Cool."  
  
She was desperate to panic, to scream and run away like the silly little girl she really was sometimes, but Dawn called on every last one of her nerves to stay calm. She'd made it through more nerve-wracking ordeals than a conversation with Buffy before, after all. Her smile became just a little more relaxed and she was finally capable of as much movement as a shrug.  
  
"Maybe that's why I seemed familiar to you?" she offered meekly.  
  
Buffy laughed. "What? Like we're distant blood relations or something. Hey, I know! Maybe there's some deep, dark Summers family secret and you're really my long lost kid sister who grew up miles away and this 'chance meeting' was totally destined to happen!"  
  
You have no idea, Buffy. Dawn, more from stress and pent-up emotion than anything else, burst into giggles along with Buffy. A few strangely comforting moments passed between the girls, then Buffy checked her watch and sighed.  
  
"I'm late for class. Again," she grimaced.  
  
Dawn's eyebrows shot up. Definitely a Buffy. But then, it looked as if this version was actually planning on going to class at all, so that was a bit of an improvement. "Story of your life, huh?"  
  
"More than I care to admit. But it was nice meeting you and all, Dawn," Buffy smiled warmly and shifted the pile in her arms so she could shake hands.  
  
"Likewise Buffy," Dawn whispered, feeling the lump rising in her throat. Somehow this stupid, utterly pointless conversation just felt like endings to Dawn. She knew deep down this was why she'd come, to say goodbye to Buffy, but now that the time had come to let go, she wasn't so sure she'd be able to.  
  
She swallowed and allowed Buffy's hand to slip from her own. Acting on pure instinct, Buffy reached out with her freed hand and pushed the hair back off Dawn's shoulders.  
  
"Right. Well... bye," Buffy said softly. Finally she turned and walked away with some reluctance. Strange, Buffy could never quite figure out why, but a part of her wanted to never turn away from the shy, slightly weird girl she knew she'd never see again. It was only after she'd slid quietly into the back row of the lecture already underway that it occurred to Buffy she hadn't thought to ask what the kid had been doing on Campus, anyway.  
  
Dawn watched Buffy go, a series of unnameable emotions welling within her. James and Sirius stepped up beside her so the three of them could watch the tiny blond disappear around a corner together. It wasn't until Buffy was out of sight that Dawn let the tears begin to fall. They streaked silently down her cheeks, making her look for all the world like a lost little girl.  
  
"That wasn't my sister," she realised quietly. Sure, it was Buffy Summers, but not the Buffy that belonged to her. Not the one with whom she felt safe and sure of things. "I don't have a sister anymore."  
  
James looked at her with sad eyes. "I don't have one either. Always wanted one though, Kitten. So... d'you think you could make do with a pain- in-the-arse brother to take care of?"  
  
Dawn's glistening eyes flickered between James' sincere face and his outstretched arms a few times before she hurled herself into him. Sirius watched his two favourite people in the entire world accepting each other as family, surprised by the complete lack of jealousy he found within himself. Part of him wished he had it in him to do just as James had done and selflessly offer to be exactly what Dawn needed, but he couldn't do it. He could (and would) be there for her, that wasn't even a question, but those certainly weren't brotherly feelings that took a hold of Sirius every time he looked at Dawn, and it was pointless to pretend otherwise.  
  
Dawn and James were still hugging, and finally Sirius began to tire of being a spectator. He plastered his most heart-wrenching pout on his face. "I'm getting a little lonely here."  
  
Two arms, one belonging to James and the other to Dawn, reached out and grabbed hold of Sirius, yanking him into the embrace. A moment later, he felt James pull away and saw him flash a thumbs-up as Dawn was left securely in Sirius' arms alone.  
  
James rolled his eyes and turned away. Knowing those two, they could be a while. It was just a shame that everyone but Sirius and Dawn had figured out that both Sirius and Dawn wanted to be _'Sirius and Dawn.'_ A formidable figure was stalking towards them. James tapped Sirius on the shoulder.  
  
"Incoming," he called.  
  
Dawn and Sirius broke apart just in time to look up as Professor McGonagall reached them. Her eyes were like daggers in her pinched, irritated face. She seemed to be visibly forcing herself to calm down, then she looked apologetically at Dawn.  
  
"I'm sorry Miss Summers. It seems these muggles aren't so easily convinced to hand out personal information without authorisation. Perhaps, your last name being Summers, you could try?" she suggested.  
  
Dawn smiled. "That's all right, Professor. I don't think I'll need to."  
  
McGonagall arched an eyebrow at her three grinning students, but decided then and there that she would not ask. Dawn shared a look with Sirius and James.  
  
"We got what we came for."

* * *

_Well I always say it'd be good to go away  
Oh but if things don't work out like we'd think  
And if there's nothing there to ease this ache  
And if there's nothing there to make things change  
If it's the same for you I'll just hang._


	11. Never Tear Us Apart

**Disclaimer:** JK Rowling owns all things Harry Potter. Joss Whedon owns all things Buffy the Vampire Slayer. INXS owns the song Never Tear Us Apart. I don't own any of these things.  
  
**A/N:** Due to new TTH restrictions, major notes regarding this fic will now be housed at my journal- Most notes will be making their way there over the next week, at my greatest journal, the address for which I will add to my profile page since this stupid thing doesn't seem to want to recognise it any way I try to get it in there! Thanks reviewers XX ---Anoron  
  
CHAPTER TEN  
** Never Tear Us Apart**  
  
"So... this is Hogsmeade, huh?" Dawn stared around her. She and her friends were standing in the middle of the main street of the village on the cool Saturday morning while the crowd of students thinned and dispersed around them.  
  
"Yeah, this is about it," James shrugged. "Now c'mon, we've got to get to Zonko's before it gets too crowded and all the good stuff gests sold out!"  
  
Dawn was dragged into a store so quickly she barely had time to read the sign hanging above the door: 'Zonko's Joke Shop'. Then, just as quickly, she found she had been deserted by all her friends. James and Sirius had charged straight for the 'Latest Arrivals' stand, Peter was skimming the backs of various prank foods packets and Remus was gazing at a selection of enchanted parchments, Dawn could practically see the wheels of his mind ticking over as new ideas were formed. She sighed and began browsing the displays alone. She found an assortment of powders: itching powder, sneezing powder, blistering powder, hiccoughing powder, uncontrollable bowel movement powder-  
  
"That one's not so nice," commented a passing Hufflepuff.  
  
Dawn hastily put the package down and moved on. She skipped the series of noise-makers completely and found herself looking at a display of simple tea-cups. Peter wandered over to her.  
  
"What do they do?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know," Dawn replied, reaching out and running a finger around the rim of the topmost tea-cup. "But I was just thinking maybe Newman would like some company- OUCH!" She yanked her hand back against her chest, cradling her finger.  
  
"Damn tea-cup bit me!"  
  
Peter blinked. "It bit you? But it's a tea-cup," he looked at the offending china. It was sitting in its place looking completely innocent.  
  
Dawn showed him the little bite marks in her finger. They turned back to the tea-cups, examining them, trying to figure out exactly what had set the biting one off. Peter leaned close over one to peer into it and the tea-cup sprang to life, latching onto his nose.  
  
Peter jerked upright with a yelp of pain and alarm, though nobody in the crowded store seemed to notice. Dawn reached over and, with some effort accompanied by much squeaking from Peter, she managed to wrench the tea-cup's jaws from his nose. Remus materialised by them then, as Dawn was carefully returning the tea-cup to its place.  
  
"What are you two doing?"  
  
Dawn eyed the tea-cups warily. "Just trying to figure out why these things are so feral. They keep biting us," she told Remus.  
  
Remus looked between Peter, Dawn and the tea-cups and shook his head. His amber eyes were alight with amusement.  
  
"What?" Peter asked.  
  
The werewolf picked up a box just behind the display and showed the label to his two friends. 'Nose-biting tea-cup.' Dawn looked at Peter. Peter looked at the box. Then the pair just sighed and headed off to find Sirius and James, while a snickering Remus snatched up a couple of the boxes and headed for the register.  
  
The five emerged from Zonko's, Remus, James and Sirius each carrying a few purchases in paper bags. They wandered further down the street, weaving in an out of the pedestrian traffic, visiting every store at least once so Dawn could see all that Hogsmeade had to offer. The group worked their way out of the main street, wandering down to a rickety barbed-wire fence. Beyond it was a dilapidated, ominous-looking house.  
  
"Let me guess- the Shrieking Shack?" Dawn grinned.  
  
"Or as we sometimes like to call it, the Marauders' Mansion," Remus announced proudly. "C'mon, we know a way in, we'll show you around."  
  
"Hold on," Sirius blurted, staring intently at the Shack. There, against the dirty white paint, he caught a mass of grey fur slinking along the wall. He grinned evilly. "I'll be right back."  
  
He disappeared behind a large boulder, and a moment later Padfoot emerged. The big, black dog slithered under the barbed-wire fence and crept silently towards the house. James was the first to figure out what the Animagus was up to.  
  
"I hope that cat down there can run fast," he snickered.  
  
The others peered down to the Shack, where the unsuspecting cat was now perched on a low wall by the house. Remus' eyes widened.  
  
"Oh Merlin- it's McGonagall!"  
  
Dawn clapped a hand over her mouth as Padfoot, now in range, gave only a single, booming bark of warning before he pounced. The cat screeched out a 'meow' and rocketed away, the enormous dog thundering after it. McGonagall ran across the yard of the Shrieking Shack and Padfoot gave chase, snapping at the tabby's heels. James was laughing so hard he thought he was about to wet himself, he had tears of mirth streaming from his eyes and he was clutching at his aching sides. Remus had given in and was chuckling away while Peter let out a series of terrified, squeaking giggles. Dawn simply sat down on the spot, right there in the dirt.  
  
McGonagall shot under the fence, but Padfoot followed. He chased her until she had no choice but to shoot up the nearest tree and take refuge among the branches. Padfoot sat at the base of her tree and growled for a full five minutes before he became bored of his sport and trotted away.  
  
The second his back was turned the tabby cat leapt to the ground and streaked away. The four spectators burst into wild applause as Padfoot came lolloping up to them. He slurped happily at Dawn's face, earning him a scratch behind the ears before he morphed back into Sirius. He smirked down at her.  
  
"What're you doing down there, Kitten?"  
  
Dawn just shook her head as she was hauled to her feet and began brushing the dirt off her backside. Remus cocked his head to the side, studying Sirius.  
  
"Did you actually know that was McGonagall?" he had to ask.  
  
Sirius let out a little snicker. "Not at first. But once I'd pounced, I had to go through with it, didn't I? Would've looked suspicious, otherwise," he grinned.  
  
James thumped him heartily on the back. "That was just classic, Padfoot," he praised.  
  
"I know."  
  
Remus rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's get going before Padfoot's head gets as big as Prongs'."  
  
"I do not have a big head!" James burst out indignantly as the group began easing themselves under the barbed-wire.  
  
"That's not what Lily tells me," Dawn sang, flashing her most adorable, innocent smile at James, who stuck his tongue out at her.  
  
Then he stopped dead in his tracks, his face lighting up in sudden delight with a new occurrence. "You mean Evans talks about me? What does she say? Tell me everything!" he latched onto Dawn's arms, shaking her a little in his excitement.  
  
"Right," said Dawn, her teeth rattling a little in her head as James shook her. "Maybe later James, you know, when we're braiding hair and painting each other's toenails."  
  
James hastily let go of Dawn. The other boys snorted with barely suppressed laughter as the group reached the Shrieking Shack. While Remus kept a lookout for anyone who might be watching, Peter transformed into the chubby little rat and disappeared through a crack in the wall. They only had to wait a few moments for a panel to pop out of the wall. Sirius pulled it out completely and stepped back to make way.  
  
"Ladies first," the boys all ushered Dawn to the opening. She hesitated, trying to figure out exactly which way would be the easiest for her to get through.  
  
"It's easiest if you crawl through head first," Sirius called out helpfully. James and Remus shot him exasperated looks, but Sirius didn't seem to notice. A wicked grin was plastered to his face, his head was tilted at an angle to gain the best possible view as Dawn crouched down, then leaned forwards to begin the crawl through the small opening. As her backside disappeared from view, James slapped Sirius upside his head.  
  
"Ouch! What the hell, Prongs?" Sirius protested.  
  
James shrugged. "Sorry Padfoot," he said, not sounding it in the least. "Just seemed the appropriate brotherly thing to do."  
  
He turned and followed Remus through the opening, leaving Sirius alone to struggle with the removed panel. By the time he'd managed to get it back in place, Peter, James and Remus had already shown Dawn through the lower levels of the Shack. He caught up with them at the foot of the rickety wooden stairs. Though the stairs shook with the weight of five stampeding teens, Dawn dared not grab the banister for fear of being attacked by the killer dust bunnies gathering there.  
  
They reached the dark landing of the second floor and took out their wands, muttering _lumos_ to give some light to see by. The boys led Dawn through the dusty, rough building that had been a monthly haven for Remus since the first time he set foot on Hogwarts grounds.  
  
"So, what do you think?" Remus asked as they finally made their way back to the exit panel.  
  
"Werewolf homey," Dawn grinned. "A few throw-pillows and what's not to love?"  
  
Peter transformed into Wormtail once more and slipped through the crack to the outside. The others waited a few minutes, then they heard two sharp taps against the boards covering the outside of the Shack.  
  
"That's our cue," James murmured, giving the panel a hard shove. They heard the grunts of exertion coming from outside as Peter tried unsuccessfully to remove the panel completely from the wall. The four still inside the Shrieking Shack exchanged amused glances.  
  
After what felt like ages of listening to Peter puffing and grunting, James decided he was too bored and hungry to wait any longer. Without even a word of warning, James Potter had disappeared and a hazel-eyed stag stood in his place. Dawn, Remus and Sirius cleared out of his path instantly. Prongs backed up a few paces, lowered his head and charged forwards to ram his antlers into the panel.  
  
The entire thing flew out of the wall, they all heard a thud and a squeak of pain coming from outside. Becoming a cheekily grinning boy once more, James peered out of the opening with the others, to where Peter lay sprawled in the dirt several paces from the wall, trapped beneath the panel.  
  
Once again, the boys (namely Sirius) insisted Dawn crawl through the opening ahead of them. She emerged into the daylight, ran straight to Peter and lifted the panel off him easily. She passed it to Sirius, not noticing the satisfied grin on his face as he followed her out, and extended her hand to help Peter up.  
  
"Peter, are you alright?" she asked softly.  
  
He nodded, rubbing at his now-tender ribcage. The panel was slotted back in place and they soon left the Shrieking Shack behind, settling on the Three Broomsticks and a butterbeer as their destination. They stepped into the noisy, bustling pub that reminded Dawn of a slightly more trendy version of the Leaky Cauldron. The four boys charged straight for a booth in the back, Dawn scurrying to stay in their wake as they claimed what they assured Dawn was 'the usual Marauder spot'. A young witch, maybe eighteen if she was lucky, sauntered over in sparkling high heels, flipping her honey blond hair over her shoulders.  
  
She grinned saucily at them. "What'll it be, boys?"  
  
Dawn mentally raised her eyebrows. Has she suddenly stepped under James' Invisibility Cloak without realising it?  
  
"We'll all have fire-whiskey, Rosmerta," James tried, blinking innocently up at her.  
  
Rosmerta threw back her head and laughed, the light, tinkling sounds melding into the din of the pub. "That one gets funnier every time you try it, hon. Now, really, what would you like?"  
  
"I think he was being serious," Remus observed with a smirk.  
  
"Someone say my name?" Sirius quipped, and everyone within earshot groaned. "No-one appreciates my sense of humour," he pouted. Dawn patted his arm while Rosmerta gave him a sympathetic smile.  
  
"You don't have a sense of humour, Padfoot," James told him, deepening Sirius' pout. Rosmerta laughed and winked at Sirius.  
  
Dawn felt a stab of white-hot jealousy rip through her insides, she scowled harshly at the flirtatious waitress who had yet to even acknowledge her existence. "I'll have a butterbeer, please," she said loudly, arching an eyebrow and staring insolently at the older girl.  
  
"Same," muttered all the boys, all a bit disturbed by the rapid drop in the temperature in their booth.  
  
Rosmerta smiled uncomfortably through the sudden tension. "Five butterbeers coming right up," she turned and fled back to the safety of the bar.  
  
Dawn sat and stared at her hands, contemplating the downward turn the last thirty seconds had taken. What was wrong with her? She'd behaved terribly, like a possessive girlfriend who couldn't stand the thought of having another girl flirt harmlessly with her boyfriend. She flushed darkly and with some effort forced herself to focus on reality and not her stupid, probably pointless schoolgirl crush. However much her skin tingled when he wrapped his arms around her, however easily she lost herself in his eyes, Sirius was not her boyfriend and she had no right to act as if he belonged to her. Even if in her heart she already belonged to him.  
  
Rosmerta reappeared and plonked their drinks on the table, Dawn attempted a polite smile but the waitress didn't even look at her. She left the bill and walked away without a word.  
  
The boys soon picked up the thread of conversation again, James chattering excitedly about the first Quidditch match of the season coming up within the next month. Dawn sat silently and nursed her butterbeer as she listened. She knew a little about Quidditch from what the boys had explained to her, they were all passionate about the sport, but to her it all sounded a little violent. Personally, Dawn thought she'd seen quite enough violence for one lifetime.  
  
"We'll be ready for Slytherin," James was saying. "There's no way I'm going to lose to those dirty snakes!"  
  
A few Gryffindors who'd overheard the declaration gave a roar of approval in response, prompting James to stand up and take a bow. "Thank you, Gryffindors! I'm James Potter and I'll be your captain this year. Please, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride all the way to the Quidditch Cup!" he quipped and took another bow. Screams and whistles echoed throughout the Three Broomsticks and Dawn mustered a small smile as James, satisfied with the uproar he'd created, plopped back into his seat.  
  
Dawn took another long drink of butterbeer to avoid the excited babble the boys had settled back into. She sputtered and nearly dropped her bottle when a warm hand squeezed her leg, a few inches above her knee.  
  
"You alright, Kitten?" Sirius whispered in her ear.  
  
_Hand on the leg. Hand on the leg. Hand on the leg!_ Somehow, Dawn found herself nodding despite the distraction of Sirius' hand, which felt as if it would burn a hold right through her pants to her skin.  
  
"Fine," she assured him, her voice far too breathy for her own ears. She turned her attention back to her drink, all the while keenly aware that Sirius had yet to remove his hand. She caught sight of a familiar flash of red hair, accompanied by a set of shorter blond locks and waved at Lily and Isabel as they headed towards the door.  
  
"Dawn, you coming?" Lily called across the din of the pub while Isabel waved her over.  
  
Dawn nodded and began gathering the things she'd bought in the village (that James had insisted on paying for). "I'll see you guys tonight," she said as she slid out of the booth. The boys were all frowning at her, Sirius in particular as he was forced to remove his hand from her leg when she moved.  
  
"Where are you running off to, Kitten?" James asked.  
  
"Promised the girls in my dorm we could do the girly bonding thing, getting ready for tonight," she shrugged. "We're going to come together as a group, so I'll catch up with you guys when we get here, ok? Bye."  
  
She skipped off with Lily and Isabel, hurrying to catch up with Michelle and Candice, who'd started back to Hogwarts ahead of them. The boys watched them going off to do their 'girly bonding thing', as Dawn called it.  
  
James had a dreamy look on his face. "Did anyone else just go to a very pleasant visual place?"  
  
Sirius immediately raised his hand. After a moment of careful consideration, Remus, his eyebrows raised, gave a nod. Peter cocked his head to the side and thought about it.  
  
"Huh?"

* * *

Five girls, all showered and wrapped snugly in their bathrobes, were running around the fifth year girls' dorms in Gryffindor tower trying to get ready for their very first Hogsmeade night. Dawn had already picked out her best pair of jeans, her dark denim hip-huggers, and had thrown every shirt she currently owned on her bed. She was sifting through the jumble for just the right one.  
  
"No. No. No. No..." before she knew it, the bed was cleared and a mountain of shirts were piled next to her on the floor. If only she had Buffy's wardrobe still at her disposal, she sighed. "I have nothing to wear," Dawn announced for the first time in her life.  
  
Isabel wandered over, tossing a piece of chocolate Dawn's way. "I'm sure there's something in here that's got to be perfect," she said bracingly, reaching for the shirt at the peak of Dawn's clothes mountain. "No. No. No. No..."  
  
Right before the girls' eyes, the shirts were all transferred from the floor back to Dawn's bed. "You were right. You really don't have anything to wear," Isabel sighed. She went to her own cupboard and rifled through her clothes. A minute later, she emerged and handed Dawn a pale green top.  
  
"Try that."  
  
Some time later, all five were dressed and tackling the task of hair and make-up. "So, Dawn," Candice began, twisting her hair up and pinning it to the back of her head. "How/d you manage to land the elusive Sirius Black, anyway?"  
  
Dawn choked on the breath she'd been drawing, her hairbrush clattered to the vanity unit. "Land Sirius?" she coughed, her face turning bright red and not just from the lack of oxygen. "I'm- he- we- we're n-not together," she stuttered.  
  
"Not yet," Lily smirked, sharing a knowing glance with a grinning Isabel. Dawn glowered at them.  
  
"Traitors," she muttered, before relenting.  
  
The girls all laughed and continued getting ready for the night. With the assortment of junk food they'd bought in the village that day, they could afford to skip dinner in the Great Hall completely. When at last they made the trip back into Hogsmeade and stepped out of the clear, chilly evening into the slightly darkened atmosphere of the Three Broomsticks, there were only a few students who'd already arrived. The pub (currently club) was dotted with posters advertising there would be a DJ playing muggle music for the night's entertainment.  
  
The five shed their cloaks and hung them by the door before moving further into the room. With a smile and a wave, Candice and Michelle headed off to the bar for a drink. Lily and Isabel each grabbed one of Dawn's hands and led her to the virtually deserted dance floor.  
  
"Oh great, dancing again," Dawn grimaced.  
  
"Oh come on," Isabel cajoled, prodding her in the side to hurry her up.  
  
Dawn grinned and started moving to the beat. She found she wasn't as nervous as she'd been that time in London with the boys, and guessed it had something to do with being more adapted to the world around her now. And it also probably had a lot to do with the fact that she found neither Lily or Isabel particularly attractive. The crowds soon began to pour into the Three Broomsticks, but Dawn, Isabel and Lily paid them no mind, too caught up in their own fun as the dance floor filled around them. A particular group of boys were standing at the edge of the floor, staring at the three girls as they danced with abandon.  
  
Lily threw her head to the side and caught a glimpse of James, standing by with Remus, Peter and Sirius and rolled her eyes at the expression on his face. "We've got an audience," she mouthed at her friends, jerking her head back in the Marauders' direction.  
  
Dawn's eyes landed on her best friends and naturally sought out Sirius. She nearly tripped over her own two feet at the hunger lurking in his blue eyes as they met hers. He arched an eyebrow and she felt her lips tug upwards into a smile. A minute later she spun about, turning her back on him and focusing solely on Lily, Isabel and the music washing over them.  
  
"Bloody hell," Sirius let out a low whistle. "For someone who swore she couldn't dance..."  
  
"Huh?" James grunted, not taking his eyes off Lily.  
  
Peter's mouth had dropped open, his small eyes had bulged almost out of their sockets. He felt the heat creeping up over his cheeks and all of a sudden his pants were uncomfortably tight.  
  
"Um... I'm going to get a drink," he blurted, scurrying off to the bar.  
  
James, Sirius and Remus barely registered his departure as they continued to follow their three house-mates on the dance floor with their gazes. A slightly slower song came on and the boys spied their opportunity to move, weaving their way through the crowd to their target.  
  
Sirius swung Dawn easily into his arms, neither of them spoke but Dawn smiled at him again and wrapped her arms almost shyly around his neck.  
  
Remus smiled nervously at Isabel, holding out his hand to her. "Dance with me?" he asked. Isabel, blushing, nodded and placed her hand in his.  
  
James grinned at Lily.  
  
"No way!"  
  
James, though a hint of disappointment flickered through his hazel depths, held his smile and tugged Lily a bit closer to him. Lily cocked back her fist, ready to slug James for daring to even try, but he quickly caught her hand.  
  
"Just one dance, Evans. Promise I'll behave myself."  
  
Lily huffed and glared and scowled. But she did not leave. She allowed James, who maintained a respectable distance between his body and hers the entire time, to lead her through one dance. She pulled away before the last note of the song had completely faded. She stared at James, who had been silent and perfectly behaved for an entire song, unnerved by the content smile that seemed now permanently fixed to his face.  
  
"Thanks for the dance, Evans," he said in that deep voice laced with forced maturity that he always found for her. It was that voice that seemed to shock Lily back into her old fiery self.  
  
"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it," she snapped. "Because it's the first and last you'll ever have with me!" She turned and began elbowing her way violently through the mass of bodies.  
  
"Will you go out with me?" rang out across the crowded room in her wake.  
  
She didn't even pause to answer, but James was grinning broadly as he turned to his friends. Sirius cocked ay eyebrow at him over Dawn's shoulder. "What are you grinning at Prongs? It's not like she actually said yes or anything."  
  
"I know," James shrugged, still grinning. "But for one thing I actually touched her without getting a black eye for my troubles, and for another thing, she never said no, either!"  
  
Dawn giggled into Sirius' chest. James was a hopeless case. For the rest of the night, completely ignorant of the many curious glances aimed their way, Sirius refused to let Dawn out of his arms for even one dance. He smirked as Remus and Isabel left quite early together, but said nothing to draw attention to their absence. The evening wore away, until finally the DJ announced there was time enough for just one last song. Deeper, more sensual music washed over them and Sirius instinctively drew Dawn closer to him and tightened his hold on her slender frame. He smirked.  
  
Dawn's head tilted to the side, spilling waves of long brown hair over her shoulder. "What?"  
  
The smirk deepened. "Sing for me," he whispered, echoing her words of weeks long past.  
  
"Here?" Dawn blushed, looking apprehensively around at the scores of people surrounding them.  
  
"Here," Sirius affirmed as the lights dimmed until only the magical mirror-ball remained to give off broken fragments of light. "There's nobody listening but me," he promised, and Dawn felt all self-consciousness evaporate from her in the darkness. ****

**Don't ask me **

**What you know is true **

**Don't have to tell you **

**I love your precious heart **

**I **

**I was standing **

**You were there **

**Two worlds collided **

**And they could never tear us apart **

**We could live **

**For a thousand years **

**But if I hurt you **

**I'd make wine from your tears **

**I told you **

**That we could fly 'cause we all have wings **

**But some of us don't know why **

**I **

**I was standing **

**You were there **

**Two worlds collided **

**And they could never, ever tear us apart **

**I **

**I was standing **

**You were there **

**Two worlds collided **

**And they could never tear us apart **

**You **

**You were standing **

**I was there **

**Two worlds collided **

**And they could never tear us apart**   
  
She had the sweetest voice he'd ever heard. Sirius couldn't remember when exactly his eyes had closed, he just knew it wasn't important to see. All he needed was to hear her, to feel her. The soft, but certain sincerity in Dawn's voice as she sang to him and him alone had Sirius convinced she reciprocated his feelings. She was just too pure and true to fake that kind of emotion.  
  
He pulled back a fraction so they were no longer cheek to cheek, but their noses were resting side by side. All he needed to do to finally have his first taste of those delicate pink lips was to tilt her head up a mere centimetre...  
  
Harsh light exploded all around them, and suddenly Sirius and Dawn were no longer the only two people in the world. They jerked hastily apart and blinked, looking almost disoriented as people jostled around them to clear the Three Broomsticks, and their moment died along with the music. James winced sympathetically at Sirius' 'why do the fates insist on toying with me' expression before he and Peter were swallowed in the crowd.  
  
Dawn slid her hand into Sirius' so they wouldn't be separated as they made their way to collect their cloaks for the walk back to Hogwarts. Once in the street, Sirius led Dawn the opposite way to the crowd, heading straight for Honeydukes.  
  
"Sirius, where-?"  
  
"Shh, Kitten. We know a short-cut to get back to the castle quicker," Sirius led her around the side of the sweet shop and lifted the window.  
  
They climbed into the darkened store and Sirius slid the window closed once more. He paused briefly to snatch up a couple of chocolate bars. Dawn opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say a word he'd deposited a handful of coins on the counter to pay for the stock. They crept down the stairs and into the cellar, where Sirius lifted a panel out of the floor. Dawn looked down, but it was pitch black and she couldn't see a thing, it was as if she was staring into a bottomless pit.  
  
"Here, _lumos_," Sirius pulled his wand out, lighting up an endless flight of stone stairs. Dawn stepped cautiously down, lighting up her own wand. The flight of stairs was long and uneven, but finally they made it to the bottom, where a tunnel stretched out before them.  
  
"Neat, huh?" Sirius grinned and handed her one of the chocolate bars he'd grabbed. "We found it not long ago, actually, when we were trying to hide from Filch."  
  
Choosing not to wonder why they'd needed to hide from Filch in the first place, Dawn just grinned back and unwrapped her chocolate. Sirius had been right, Dawn realised when they emerged from behind the statue of the one-eyes witch back at the castle. They had arrived much faster than the students who'd travelled by the road.  
  
They headed for the Gryffindor Common Room, Dawn gave the password and they clambered through the portrait hole. They looked up just in time to see a figure disappearing up the girls' stairs, while another turned to glare at the intruding new arrivals. Sirius and Dawn shared a look and tried not to laugh at Remus' slightly dishevelled hair and the smear of lipstick over his face.  
  
"We're not interrupting, are we Moony?" Sirius smirked.  
  
Remus arched an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?" he shot back in a would-be casual voice.  
  
Dawn gave him a pointed look and lightly touched the corner of her mouth. Taking the hint, Remus lifted his own hand and wiped his mouth with the back of it. He blushed when he noticed the red streaks that had appeared on his skin, exactly the same shade as the lipstick Isabel had been wearing. Sirius started to snigger.  
  
"Like you're one to talk, Padfoot," Remus muttered dangerously before turning and stomping off up the boys' staircase.  
  
"Night Remus," Dawn called after him before dissolving into a little fit of giggles. The sounds died away, but the smile held on her face when Sirius regained her full attention by running his fingers through the length of her hair.  
  
"Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" he murmured, unconsciously licking his lips.  
  
Dawn's eyes widened. Huh!? "N-no," she mouthed, suddenly not quite able to produce actual words as Sirius pulled her up against him.  
  
"Well, you look gorgeous," he whispered, leaning in as Dawn's face stretched up towards his.  
  
BANG!  
  
The portrait slammed open so violently that the fat lady collided with the wall and began yelling indignantly. Sirius swore under his breath as Lily's voice screeched over that of the mistreated portrait.  
  
"Potter, you prat! And you, Pettigrew! Just how immature can you get!?" Lily marched the two Marauders in question into the Common Room.  
  
James blinked innocently. "But Evans, we didn't do anything. Really."  
  
"Oh?" Lily snapped, eyebrow arched to an epic proportion. "I suppose Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape threw themselves into the lake, then?"  
  
Sirius was a heartbeat away from laughter, but one look at the little brunette next to him had the boy choking it back. There was a distinctly not amused expression on Dawn's face as she watched the scene unfolding before her.  
  
"They slipped," James replied, his face so boyishly sincere that anyone who didn't know better would believe him in an instant. Unfortunately for James, Lily did know better.  
  
"Potter you arrogant toe-rag, they didn't slip. If they'd merely slipped, they wouldn't have landed five feet away!"  
  
Peter grimaced, caught out in the lie. Just as he was consoling himself with the knowledge that it was worth it, seeing the splashes two of their most hated Slytherin rivals had made as they'd hurtled into the icy depths of the lake, the saving grace of James Potter's brilliance dazzled him one more time.  
  
"It's sad really, Evans," James sighed. "We saw them slip, and Peter and I tried to help them, we really did. But you know what those Slytherins are like, once they realised it was a couple of Gryffindors who'd rescued them, they pulled away so hard they went flying into the lake anyway. So in a way I guess you were right the first time, Evans, Sniv- Snape and Malfoy really did throw themselves into the lake!" he concluded, a hint of a proud smirk twitching at one corner of his mouth.  
  
Sirius and Peter were outright grinning. Dawn rolled her eyes. James Potter strikes again. Lily blinked a few times to give herself a moment to digest the story she'd just been fed.  
  
"Did you really expect me to believe that Potter?" she finally asked. "That was the biggest load of tripe I've heard since the last time you tried to weasel yourself out of trouble."  
  
"Maybe we could discuss it over a cup of coffee," James suggested quickly.  
  
"Or I could just go straight to McGonagall and report you," Lily countered.  
  
"You don't drink coffee?"  
  
"Not with you," Lily strode purposefully for the girls' stairs. "You coming up to bed, Dawn? It's late," she said pointedly, and Dawn nodded in response.  
  
"Night guys," she said, smiling through her disappointment, her gaze lingering on Sirius for a long moment before she followed Lily. Naïve and oblivious as she was, Dawn knew that twice in one night, Sirius had been on the verge of kissing her. And twice in one night, they'd been rudely interrupted. It was like the fates were teasing them or something.  
  
Sirius scowled darkly as he was left with James and Peter. He looked over at his friends, who could sense the frustration coursing through him. "You know, I think I may have to actually start paying some attention in Divination. Because I think the fates right now are seriously messing with me."

* * *

Dawn sat re-reading the same paragraph of her potions textbook over and over. Try as she might, she just couldn't seem to concentrate. It didn't help that Remus and Isabel were sitting on the couch next to her chair, their heads bent close together and their hands clasped as they studied from the same book and Dawn couldn't help but glance jealously at them every other minute. Happy as she was that two of her friends were together, a selfish part of her couldn't help but wish their happiness was hers with the way her thoughts kept drifting from the book in front of her to a certain raven-haired, blue-eyed Gryffindor who was on her mind more often than not lately.  
  
Dawn sighed, thinking of Sirius and the way her heart would flutter when he looked at her with those sky-like eyes, when he flashed that devilish grin at her. All chance of concentration was now long gone. Dawn slammed her textbook shut and set it aside for a day when her brain was capable of functioning on a level beyond a basic fifteen year-old's boy obsession. All of a sudden, a familiar scent filled her awareness, making her spine tingle as a low voice murmured in her ear.  
  
"Come for a walk, Kitten."  
  
It was more a gentle command than a request, Dawn let Sirius take her hand, flushing slightly at the contact, and lead her out the portrait hole. Once they were in the corridor, Sirius unearthed James' Invisibility Cloak and flung it over the both of them. Dawn squirmed, the Cloak was suppressing the scent of Sirius around her until it became almost as intoxicating as his nearness.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
He led her up a tower with many flights of stairs, and just as Dawn thought she'd be climbing stairs forever, they emerged into the cool night air. They were on the roof of the castle. Sirius whipped the Cloak off with a flourish and Dawn stepped further outside, feeling the hard stones firm beneath her feet.  
  
"Oh my God," she breathed. The view was nothing short of spectacular. The night was quite chilly, but only a wisp of cloud streaked the velvet sky, alive with stars far brighter than any Dawn had ever seen in Sunnydale. Beneath them, the Hogwarts grounds were husky dull in the dark, but seemed husky and inviting... Dawn had a sudden image of herself taking her shoes off and running barefoot through the grass in the dark.  
  
"I thought you might like to see the view from the Astronomy tower, since you don't take the class. Do you like it?" Sirius asked, already reading the answer in her delighted face.  
  
"It's beautiful," Dawn whispered, looking at the stars.  
  
"Yeah," Sirius agreed, looking at her.  
  
Dawn turned to look at him fully, smiling her gratitude for his gesture before walking to the edge of the nearest turret to further admire the view. She shivered a little in the breeze. Spying his opportunity, Sirius walked over to stand behind Dawn and wrapped his arms around her wispy frame. Dawn's blood simmered, her breath caught in her throat and her heart pounded in her chest. With Sirius wrapping his arms around her for no apparent reason, she could only hope she neither fell down or peed her pants. Sirius began rubbing her arms to warm them up. Realising he was just trying to keep her from becoming a human ice-block, Dawn deflated a little, but could not be too disappointed, given the strong hands now resting on her shoulders.  
  
"I really like you, Dawn," Sirius admitted suddenly.  
  
Dawn froze. This wasn't real- wasn't happening. Not to her, little Dawn Summers, always the meek little tagalong. Almost without her realising, Sirius tightened his grip on Dawn's shoulders and turned her around until she was facing him. She looked up at him, eyes wide as saucers and glinting in the starlight. His hand moved to her chin, tilting her head back, his mouth dipped lower towards hers.  
  
Dawn's eyes fluttered closed of their own accord as a feather-light kiss brushed against her lips. When she did not protest, Sirius increased the pressure the tiniest bit and felt Dawn start to respond, albeit timidly. It was several seconds before Sirius pulled back for air, grinning at Dawn. She blinked up at him as if she couldn't quite wrap her mind around what had just happened.  
  
"Shiver me timbers," she mumbled, wondering how exactly she'd come up with the ridiculous phrase even as she spoke it.  
  
"What?" Sirius laughed.  
  
"Oh... uh... nothing," Dawn stammered.  
  
"That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" Sirius realised, his grin widening. He couldn't help but feel proud to be the first boy ever to taste the pure sweetness that was Dawn Summers.  
  
"No! No, of course n-not, I mean as if, and... well, yeah," she admitted shyly, her cheeks flaming as she misread the note of mirth in Sirius' voice. "So please just get it over with, laugh and tell me exactly how horrible it was, and then you'll never, ever have to do it again-"  
  
Sirius silenced her with a more forceful kiss than before. "Be my girl?" he whispered against her lips.  
  
"I am."  
  
Dawn barely had time to accept before Sirius' lips closed in on hers again. He kissed her briefly before pulling back just an inch to talk to her.  
  
"By the way."  
  
He kissed her.  
  
"I'm not laughing."  
  
He kissed her again.  
  
"And it most certainly was not horrible."  
  
He kissed her once more.  
  
"And kissing you is definitely something I want to do again."  
  
Another kiss.  
  
"And again."  
  
He kissed her one more time. Dawn smiled up at him.  
  
"And again," she whispered, stretching up to press her lips to his. He reached for her waist to pull her closer and Dawn, a little uncertain but following her instincts, let her arms creep up around his neck. The ends of his longish hair tickled her hands, but Dawn barely noticed. Every cell in her body was humming with the rhythm of Sirius' kiss.  
  
Loud, booming barks shattered the stillness of the night. Dawn and Sirius leapt apart. "What was that?"  
  
"Wasn't me," Sirius pointed out. Dawn smiled at his apparent joke as they turned to peek out across the grounds. Hagrid was heading back towards his cabin, coming out of the Forbidden Forest, his crossbow slung over his shoulder and Fang bounding along by his side.  
  
"It must be late," Dawn remarked.  
  
Sirius sighed, reluctant to end the encounter. "Yeah. I s'pose we should be heading back down."  
  
He took Dawn's hand in his and, the Invisibility Cloak thrown over them once more, led the way back to Gryffindor tower. He stuck his head out from under the Cloak long enough to give the fat lady the password, and the pair climbed back into the Common Room. Since it was deserted aside from their friends, Sirius yanked the Cloak off one-handed, tossing it to James. The other hand was still firmly enclosed around Dawn's.  
  
"Thanks mate," Sirius called as James stuffed his Cloak in his bag.  
  
"So how'd it go?" James smirked, eyeing the clasped hands of the couple.  
  
Dawn blushed, but grinned happily anyway. She was too happy to know for sure that Sirius returned her feelings to be too embarrassed that James knew exactly what they'd been up to. Sirius, on the other hand, dropped Dawn's hand in order to launch into an extremely loud war chant and dance sort of combination.  
  
"SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES!"  
  
James laughed at his best friend's performance for a moment before jumping up and joining in.  
  
"SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES!"  
  
Dawn groaned and sat down on one of the couches, her head resting in her hands. If she had known he and James were going to broadcast the news for the entire castle to hear... she would've agreed to go out with Sirius anyway. He just wished he wasn't so loud about it (flattered as she was), they were going to wake up the entire tower at this rate.  
  
"SHE SAD YES! SHE SAID YES!"  
  
"Guys!" Remus called finally. "Keep it down, would you?"  
  
"Sorry Moony," Sirius grinned, plopping down next to Dawn and slinging an arm about her waist. "Got a little carried away there."  
  
"Don't you always?" Remus smiled.  
  
"What's going on?" Peter asked. He'd been watching the entire scene, but still for the life of him could not quite figure out what was going on.  
  
James sighed impatiently. "Well Wormtail, it would seem that Padfoot here finally got up the nerve to ask our dear little Kitten out, and-"  
  
"SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID-"  
  
"Padfoot! We know!" Remus hollered over Sirius.

* * *

The news spread around school like wildfire. Before she even got out of the Common Room the next morning, Dawn passed five separate groups of students whispering excitedly at catching a glimpse of Sirius Black's latest girlfriend. If James and Sirius hadn't been so vocal about the news last night, she'd wonder how they'd even found out about it.  
  
She stepped into the Great Hall, where the storm of whispers whipped into a frenzied state. Dawn felt countless stares boring into her and contemplated hiding in the Marauders' dorm until people found something else to talk about. But then it occurred to her if anyone knew exactly how fond she was hanging out there it would probably just add even more fuel to the gossip fires.  
  
Out of nowhere, she was wrapped up in a hug from behind, Dawn had to bite back a gasp at the soft kiss that was pressed to her neck. "Morning Kitten," Sirius murmured against her skin.  
  
"Morning," Dawn returned, blushing as Sirius came around to stand in front of her. He leaned in to kiss her, but Dawn allowed it to last only a moment before she pulled away and stared at the ground.  
  
"Dawn? What's the matter?" Sirius asked, concern shining in his eyes as he lifted her chin until she was looking back at him.  
  
Dawn bit her lip. "Everyone's staring, and everyone's talking about us."  
  
Sirius smirked. He'd forgotten she wasn't as comfortable as he was with being the centre of attention. "Let them stare. Let them talk. Just don't pay any attention to them, ok? You only have to worry about you and me, forget everyone else."  
  
With that, he wrapped his arm about Dawn's shoulders and marched her proudly to where their friends had gathered at the Gryffindor table. Dawn smiled weakly at her friends in greeting as she and Sirius sat down and began loading their plates up for breakfast. Dawn put a couple of pieces of toast on her plate.  
  
"Keep going," Remus ordered.  
  
Dawn added a small serving of scrambled eggs to her plate. James reached over and deposited a load of bacon over the lot of it. Dawn arched an eyebrow at James, who nodded in satisfaction. She rolled her eyes, muttering something about strange British boys trying to fatten her up. She was only half way through the small mountain of food before her when Dumbledore rose to give one of his rare speeches.  
  
"Good morning, good morning," he called happily. "If I could just have your attention for a few moments, I have some rather exciting news to share with you all before class."  
  
Dawn shared curious glances with the four boys, Lily and Isabel, but they seemed just as confused as she was. They all turned back to Dumbledore, listening intently, though Sirius used the opportunity to slide closer to Dawn and rest his hand on hers. Dawn tossed him a brief smile before the Headmaster spoke again.  
  
"We have, for the first time in Hogwarts history, the pleasure of inviting the parents of our students to the castle for a weekend to acquaint, or in many cases, reacquaint themselves with the place their children spend their most crucial learning years! All your parents have been contacted, and will be arriving on Friday in two weeks. And on that happy note, best you all be off to your classes," Dumbledore smiled and waved his arms as if to shoo his students off.  
  
Dawn and her friends joined the crush heading for the exit of the Great Hall, Dawn trying to accustom herself to Sirius' hand resting on her shoulder, making her skin tingle beneath her robes. They all stuck close together as they pushed their way out into the hall.  
  
"So it's true then," an angry voice burst out above the general racket. "You're actually _dating_?"  
  
They all stopped at the sound of the familiar voice. Sirius stiffened and let go of Dawn as they turned to face Regulus. The two brothers faced off and the passing students slowed in the hopes of seeing the argument everyone knew was coming.  
  
James glared at them. "Get gone!" he snapped, and everyone in the hall who knew James Potter knew enough not to risk one of his hexes. The hall cleared with record speed.  
  
"You got a problem, Reg?" Sirius asked coolly.  
  
James, Remus and Peter exchanged apprehensive glances. For once it seemed that Regulus was not going to back down from his older brother. There was anger and a hint of disgust flashing through those dull grey eyes, and the younger boy's jaw was clenched.  
  
"Yeah, I've got a problem, _Sear_. You know what shame this is going to bring on the family? It's one thing to spend your time hanging around blood-traitors, half-bloods and mudbloods, but to lower yourself to actually _date_ one of them-"  
  
"Enough," Sirius growled, cutting Regulus' tirade short. "You should know better by now little brother, I don't lower myself for anyone. If you weren't such a bloody mindless mummy's boy, you might actually be able to see that Dawn is equal to every member of the Black family in every way. Better than most, I'd wager."  
  
Dawn blushed and looked down, torn between pride at Sirius' praise and guilt at being the reason it seemed the fragile bond between Sirius and Regulus would finally be severed.  
  
Regulus glowered. "We'll see what mother and father have to say about that," he threatened.  
  
Sirius laughed coldly. "Writing to your dear mummy again? What a surprise. Send her my best, Reg, and be sure to tell her that if I want to date Dawn Summers, I damn well will. If I want to kiss her- hell, if I want to stick my tongue down her throat, grope her and eventually 'taint' the Black family line by carrying it on with that deliciously 'dirty' blood of hers, I will and there's not a damn thing you gits can do about it!"  
  
Silence reigned after Sirius' little declaration. Dawn's eyes had become impossibly round, and just a little fear-glazed. Dear God, but wasn't Sirius' passion something to marvel at? The ferocity with which he'd pretty much just declared himself for her in a very public manner was as bold as Buffy and Angel at their most tragic. Her breath caught in her throat as images of all those not exactly appropriate plans for them he'd mentioned flashed through Dawn's mind, and the knowledge came to her: Sirius Black was going to swallow her whole. He was going to light her soul on fire until it consumed her, she was completely helpless to stop it, and it didn't exactly sound like a bad thing. Regulus was staring dumbly at Sirius, unable to come up with a suitable reply.  
  
"You got that, or do you need me to write it down for you?" Sirius snapped, having lost all patience for his too easily led brother.  
  
With a scowl, and a quick glare to Dawn to let her know she was to blame for the rift between the two Black boys, Regulus stormed off down the hall, leaving the five older students staring after him. Dawn suddenly felt like crying. Less than a day together and already she was more trouble than she was worth for Sirius. She wouldn't be surprised if he broke it off with her then and there and saved himself all the hassle she was obviously going to cause. Her lower lip started to tremble.  
  
Sirius noticed the impending waterworks and grabbed Dawn's arms supportively. The other three boys all of a sudden found something incredibly fascinating to stare at in the opposite direction. "Hey, Kitten. Hey, don't cry on me now," he pleaded. If he had to sing for her here, he'd never live it down.  
  
"I'm sorry," Dawn said in a small voice. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."  
  
"You haven't caused any trouble, Kitten. It's not your fault they're complete gits, you understand me?" he soothed, and Dawn forced a smile for his benefit.  
  
James arched an eyebrow at Remus as Sirius caught Dawn's lips in a slow, reassuring kiss and she snuggled herself into his arms. Remus gave a little grimace in response as James shook his head.  
  
"Something tells me this Parent's Weekend thing is going to be very interesting."

* * *

**There- I finally got them together! Bout bloody time, I know!!! Don't forget your review buttons! Sorry for the lack of notes & thanks to reviewers, TTH is being really annoying about notes these days. Will try to have notes on my livejournal soon, feel free to post questions and comments there as well, that address again is on my profile page! XAnoronX**


	12. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter stuff belongs to JK Rowling. The Buffy stuff belongs to King Joss Whedon. The song belongs to Sarah McLachlan. All richer than me. Go sue them!

**Rating:** Still R/18 for the adult content.

Still want to thank the reviewers. Don't forget to check out my Greatest Journal for notes!

Anoron

CHAPTER ELEVEN

**Fumbling Towards Ecstasy**

Dawn turned the shower off and stepped out of the stall. She quickly dried herself off and brushed her teeth before tying her bathrobe snugly about her waist. She stepped out of the bathroom and stopped short.

A large, shaggy black dog was sitting beside her bed, pale blue eyes twinkling like little lights in the dark furry face. His teeth were gently clamped about a parchment note and a red glass rose. As she watched, the rose shimmered and became a bright violet colour. The other girls were bustling about to get ready for classes, but they were all shotting half-jealous, half-amused glances at Dawn's little surprise.

Dawn self-consciously tightened her bathrobe as she slowly crossed the room and knelt before her Animagus boyfriend. Boyfriend. Hers. Her boyfriend. Oh that sounded nice. She ran a hand lightly down his back, then gently extracted the note and the glass rose, which had shimmered into silver. She studied it a moment, entranced, before gently placing it on her bedside table and unfolding the short note.

_Morning my Kitten,_

_Meet me in the Common Room at 7 tonight? XX _

There was a little paw print drawn at the bottom of the note. Dawn giggled and nodded happily at Padfoot. He gave a happy bark, lapped at Dawn's cheek in a sloppy dog kiss and bounded out of the room. The other four girls watched the scene in awe.

"I don't believe it," Lily said simply. Sirius Black most definitely deserved an 'O' for effort this time around. She'd have to ask him one day how he'd managed to get that dog so well trained. Dawn rushed to get herself ready for the day but all the while she was a little distracted, a dreamy smile was plastered to her face and her eyes kept drifting back to the shimmering rose (now royal blue) and the little square of parchment beside it.

She practically floated downstairs only to be swept off her feet (literally this time) and twirled around in a firm grip. Sirius kissed her good morning as they stopped twirling and Dawn smiled up at him.

"Morning... again," she giggled. "And thankyou for the rose, it's beautiful. Where are we going tonight?"

Sirius slung an arm about Dawn's shoulders and steered her towards the Great Hall. "You'll see, Kitten," he said mysteriously, and Dawn's heart lurched with excitement and anticipation. How was she supposed to concentrate all day now?

Turned out, it wasn't so hard to keep focused in Potions, because it had become a nightmare. Bellatrix had always been willing to create trouble, but when news of her cousin dating a Mudblood, along with the ensuing argument with Regulus reached her ears, she had become almost unbearable. She and Regulus had always been close, but now Bellatrix had taken her younger cousin completely under her wing, he even spent all his free time with her crowd now. The other three boys knew how much it worried Sirius to see that his little brother had taken to closely associating with the likes of Bellatrix's friends, which included Rodolphus Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy and his two goons Crabbe and Goyle, and occasionally even Severus Snape.

"Honestly, I don't know where my Aunt and my mother went wrong," Bellatrix was saying loudly to Rodolphus, who was staring intently at her, hanging on her every word. "I mean, I just can't figure out why Regulus, Narcissa and I turned out just fine, and then the family gets stuck with two pieces of trash like the Mudblood lover over there, and his muggle-loving whore of a cousin, Andromeda!"

Dawn's head snapped over to Sirius, words of a calming effect already forming on her lips but she was too late. He'd shot to his feet, James grabbed their cauldron to steady it as a generous portion of their potion slopped onto the table where it sizzled on the wood.

"Andi's not even here to defend herself, leave her out of this," Sirius ordered, his voice taking on that quiet, deadly tone Dawn had come to realise he used just before he completely lost his temper.

Bellatrix arched an eyebrow. "Fine then. We'll just talk about you and your Mudblood."

Both cousins' glances flickered to Dawn for a fraction of a second before locking back onto each other. "Leave her out of it too, Bella. If you keep calling her that I swear I will curse you into oblivion!" Sirius growled. James quickly stood by his best friend's side. As always, things between the Black family were getting very ugly very quickly.

Bellatrix smiled nastily. "What? You don't like me calling your little girlfriend a Mudblood? Well, dear cousin, you should've thought of that before you went and asked out a piece of Mudbl-"

"_Scourgify!_"

Nobody had seen the spell coming, least of all Bellatrix. She choked on the soapy bubbles that gurgled from her mouth, foam spraying down the front of her robes. Sirius stared at her, his wand still poised, his face hard and set. The entire class was gaping. It was a well-known fact that every conversation between Bellatrix and Sirius Black since about half way through first year involved at least one, occasionally even both cousins threatening the other with magic. But this was the first time that either of them had actually followed through with the threat.

Rodolphus whipped his wand out and waved it at Bellatrix. The soap disappeared from her mouth and chin, she wiped at her face and drew herself up to her full height, glaring venomously at Sirius.

"I did warn you," Sirius said simply.

"Don't," Dawn whispered. Sirius looked down at the girl by his side in shock. He hadn't even noticed Dawn was on the move. Her hand loosely held his wrist to restrain him from casting another spell. "You've made your point."

At long last, Sirius nodded. Trusting James to watch his back, as Bellatrix was not above cursing him from behind, Sirius pecked Dawn once on the lips to her embarrassment and went back to his cauldron to clean his up mess as if nothing at all had happened. Bellatrix glared at him through calculating eyes before she headed back to take care of her own ruined potion. She'd bide her time, but one day he would pay. They both would.

* * *

There were three books waiting on their usual rickety little table in the Divination tower when James, Sirius and Dawn took their seats. James thumbed quickly through them. They were all blank.

"What's this rubbish?" he wondered aloud.

Professor Damus made her usual dramatic entrance from the shadows, Dawn could see the laughter building up in the faces of her companions already. "My dears, as you can see in front of you, you all now have your very own dream journals! Together, we shall delve deep into your dreams and explore all the hidden messages within!"

"I don't think there are any hidden messages in my dreams about cheeseburgers," James muttered.

"How about 'mmm- burgers'?" Sirius suggested.

Dawn rolled her eyes, though she was smiling as the two boys snorted out loud. They were decidedly less amused, though, when the Professor continued giving her instructions to the class. "I want you all to begin recording every one of your dreams each night in your dream journals. You may start today by recording all your dreams from last night, next lesson we will move on to our interpretations."

The trio exchanged glances, looking at each other mutely for a few seconds. Then Dawn picked up one of the journals and the boys reluctantly followed suit.

"I dreamed I ate a triple cheeseburger last night," James finally offered. "It was really good, too."

Dawn giggled. "Well that's the important thing."

"She'll still probably find a way to make it some obscure omen of my untimely death," James shrugged and nodded his head to where Damus was speaking in hushed tones to Michelle a few tables away.

"All that greasy food will give you heart troubles," Dawn quipped before turning to Sirius. "What did you dream about last night?"

"I don't remember," Sirius said quickly.

Dawn frowned. There was something strange about the way Sirius wouldn't meet her eyes, and the faint blush that had washed over his cheeks. Sirius wasn't exactly known for his tendency to blush.

"What?" she asked innocently.

Sirius grimaced to himself. He had no idea where James had found this new measure of self-control, but it was a miracle he wasn't rolling around on the floor with laughter by now. Having never even been kissed before that night on the Astronomy tower, he was pretty sure the real-life version of his girlfriend would not be happy to know the sorts of things he'd had them doing in his dreams last night.

Never had a dream about a triple cheeseburger been recorded with such diligence as James was showing at that moment. He kept his eyes glued to the leaf of parchment and wrote silently. Sirius was just a little stronger than him, and James knew if he blurted out all the comments he was dying to make about moaning in the dark and soiled sheets in the morning he'd go headfirst out the seventh-floor window.

Sirius just shook his head, a fleeting grin stealing over his face at the memory of his dreams. "Nothing, Kitten. What was your dream?"

"It was weird," Dawn frowned. "I dreamt I was standing in the basement back in Sunnydale, just on the stairs. It was flooded, and I could see Buffy standing there holding a spanner, there was a burst water pipe above her head," she shrugged.

"Hmm, that is strange," Sirius mused. "Maybe it was a vision of the career your sister lost when she was Called. Her other destiny was to be a plumber or something."

Dawn laughed. "More likely she kicked some demon through it, and act of Slayer isn't covered by the house insurance." Still smiling, she began to write all that she could remember about her dream on the very first page of her dream journal.

James had long since finished recounting his triple cheeseburger dream. He'd unearthed a crystal ball from Merlin knew where and was attempting to spin it on his finger. He'd seen the trick in a muggle basketball game as a child, and had been itching to attempt the feat himself. He'd found out the hard way that a quaffle was just not the right shape for that sort of thing. Sirius watched his girlfriend working and his best friend playing, racking his brains to come up with something not quite so X-rated to put in his dream journal for the Professor to interpret.

"I dreamt... I was a dog and I chased a cat until it ran up a tree..." Sirius muttered to himself as he wrote. "There, see what she makes of that!" He caught James' eye and shrugged. So what if it wasn't an actual dream, but something that he'd done in reality only a couple of weeks ago? Damus would never know, and that little white lie was far more appropriate than the truth.

Dawn had finished too, Sirius craned his neck to try and read over her shoulder. Rolling her eyes, Dawn wordlessly passed her dream journal over to Sirius for inspection. James sniggered, and in his lapse of concentration the crystal ball slipped from his finger.

The entire class jumped, heads whipping around to stare at their little rickety table as James' crystal ball hit the ground and shattered into a million pieces.

"Oops," he grinned sheepishly. "Wonder if it saw that coming."

* * *

Dawn's hands shook nervously as she descended the stairs. She couldn't believe she was going on a date. Her first date. With Sirius. A real, live, actual, official... Dawn clutched the banister for support and drew in a series of deep, fortifying breaths. Wouldn't make the best impression if she started hyperventilating before she even reached the Common Room. She ordered herself to get a grip already. She didn't have any need to be nervous, not with Sirius. Dawn squared her shoulders, smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from her skirt and stepped into the Common Room. And very nearly fell right down.

He was waiting for her. Standing there in his jeans and blue shirt the exact shade of his eyes, dark hair flopping softly into one eye, aiming that devilish grin at her. He looked like perfection. Somehow Dawn managed to get herself to move towards him and loop her arm around the one he offered her. His free hand came up to lightly finger the sheer material of her top.

"You look amazing," he whispered.

"You are amazing." The whispered words fell almost unconsciously from Dawn's lips, she was blushing prettily and a demure little smile had stolen across her face.

"Shall we, milady?"

Sirius led a giggling Dawn out of the Common Room and down the hall. They took a familiar series of twists and turns and after a couple of staircases Dawn thought she had a pretty clear idea on where they were headed.

"Are we going to the kitchens?"

"Might be," Sirius replied evasively, but only a minute later they were standing in front of the painted fruit bowl. "Wait here, I've just got to check on something," Sirius said, reluctantly disentangling himself from Dawn to tickle the pear.

He disappeared into the kitchen, shutting the door hastily before Dawn could peek into the room. Impatiently, Dawn burned some of her nervous energy by pacing back and forth across the entrance to the kitchen. Finally, Sirius reappeared in the opening.

"Hi," he smirked.

"Hi..." Dawn replied, giving him a funny look. What was he up to?

"Close your eyes," Sirius commanded gently.

With one last questioning look, Dawn obeyed. She closed her eyes and waited patiently. Sirius grinned, taking the opportunity to really look her over. Her black skirt and light pink top made a simple combination, but it also brought out a certain sweetness about her. He watched with amusement as the seconds wore on and the peaceful look on Dawn's face washed away. He bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment to move as Dawn bit her lip and scrunched her nose up in confusion.

It was when Dawn finally opened her mouth to ask what was going on that Sirius took the opening to descend on her mouth, and he took full advantage of the fact that her lips were still parted. Dawn let out a short 'mmm' of surprise at the extra tongue that had suddenly slid into her mouth, and just barely managed to avoid biting both her own tongue and the one currently massaging it.

It was only when oxygen had become a serious issue for the both of them that Sirius pulled away, and blinked to refocus his eyesight. Dawn, however, kept her eyes firmly closed, concentrating on savouring the new taste she'd just discovered. Sirius brushed a gentle kiss against each eyelid for good measure.

"No peeking," he reminded her as, at long last, he took her hands and steered her into the kitchen.

Dawn took slow, careful steps forward, finding it incredibly easy to place her trust in Sirius' hands. There were a few high-pitched giggles from the House-Elves, but they were silenced abruptly by a playful "Shh!" from Sirius.

The temptation to open her eyes and peek was almost overwhelming, but Dawn forced herself to behave. After what felt like a lifetime, but in reality was only a few moments, her hands were released and a warm body shifted around until it was just behind her, one hand resting on her hip.

"Open your eyes," came the whisper against her neck, followed by a quick kiss.

Upon following the directive, Dawn let out a gasp. A hundred candles surrounded them, giving off a rosy glow. They were in a small chamber just beyond the main area of the kitchens, walls and floor adorned in hardwood panelling, a fire crackling happily away in one corner. The centre of the room was dominated by a booth with plush leather seating, and a table clothed in deep red, laid out with exquisite silver and set for two. Dawn looked around, but could not find the source of the soft violin music winding gently around them.

"Well?" Sirius prodded softly. "How about some dinner?"

Dawn was positively glowing as she beamed up at her boyfriend. "Sounds great."

Sirius helped her into the booth before sliding in after her. The last remaining House-Elf in the romantic little chamber stood before their table.

"Is everything to Sir Padfoot's liking?" the House-Elf squeaked almost nervously. "Locky is been working all day on Sir Padfoot's request, she is hoping she is doing well enough for Sir and Mistress Dawn's date?"

"Locky, I couldn't have done this better myself. This is perfect, thank you. And this here is Dawn. Dawnie, this is Locky. She, er, helped me out with all this," Sirius grinned.

Dawn smiled brightly at the little creature. "Thank you, Locky. This is wonderful."

Locky's eyes lit up. "Mistress Dawn and Sir Padfoot is too kind. Locky is bringing them anything they want tonight. What is they wanting and what may Locky bring first?" she gushed happily.

"How about starting with a drink?" Sirius suggested.

Locky was gone and back in a flash, and two silver goblets of sparkling gold liquid were laid out before them. Sirius lifted his and motioned for Dawn to follow suit.

"To us," he toasted.

"To us. Cheers." Dawn giggled and clinked her goblet against his. Oh, this dating thing was turning out to be too much fun. They each took a sip of what turned out to be some form of sparkling apple cider and settled into a comfortable silence. A lifetime could pass, and still Dawn would be content just to sit with Sirius, her head leaned against his shoulder and his hand weaving through the ends of her hair. It would be too soon for Dawn if they never had to go back and face the rest of the world. She had no problem at all not dealing with the slights and insults of Regulus and Bellatrix, the ever-present appraising stare of Lucius Malfoy, and the Parents' Weekend during which she'd be the only student at Hogwarts with no actual parents to visit her.

Locky reappeared with their meal, then curtseyed and left the couple to it after reminding them that she was only a call away if they wanted anything. Reluctantly, Dawn straightened up so she could sit before her plate of fish and vegetables. They struck up a light conversation throughout dinner, afterwards Dawn could barely recall what was said but she remembered smiling, and laughing a lot. She also had the distinct memory of the delicious burning sensation in her skin, caused by the knee brushing against her own just a little too often to be accidental.

"That was yummy," Dawn sighed some time later, laying her knife and fork on her empty plate.

"Mmm-hmm," Sirius agreed, pushing his own plate aside. "Locky," he called out.

The little House-Elf popped up and whisked the used dishes away. Within seconds their goblets were refilled and a dish of something that smelled both chocolaty and vanillary was placed between them. Two spoons had also materialised. Sirius grinned, enjoying the half-embarrassed, half-delighted giggles that bubbled out of Dawn when he spoon-fed the first few bites of dessert to her.

"Is it good?" he asked, eyes dancing flirtatiously.

"Yeah. Here, try some," Dawn immediately took up the remaining spoon and slipped a small portion of their dessert into Sirius' mouth. Somewhere in the background, Dawn heard Locky breathe a high-pitched, swoony sigh and giggled again.

Finally, when dessert was finished, their goblets drained, Sirius took Dawn's hand and helped her out of the booth. They bade goodbye to Locky, Sirius thanking the House-Elf again for all she'd done, and strolled hand-in-hand back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"So..." Dawn began, searching for a few words to go with as they reached the foot of the boys' stairs.

"So," Sirius replied, forcing his voice to sit on a nonchalant, casual level. "Do you want to come up to the dorms? Just to hang out," he quickly clarified before Dawn could misinterpret the invitation. Not that he wouldn't mind it in the least.

"O-ok," Dawn allowed herself to be led up to the Marauders' dorm. The other three boys were already up there, Remus and James were helping Peter with his Transfiguration homework.

"And just where have you two been?" James boomed in his best overprotective father impersonation.

Sirius rolled his eyes and Dawn grinned as they plopped down on his bed, lounging against the headboard. "Geez, can't a guy take his girlfriend on a date without getting the third degree?" Sirius huffed.

"Nobody expects a Spanish Inquisition," piped up the feminine voice by his side. Sirius looked at Dawn out of the corner of his eye, but decided not to ask.

* * *

She really should have been looking where she was going. If she hadn't been meandering along with her nose stuck in the copy of _The Lord of the Rings _that Isabel had loaned her, maybe she would've seen it coming. A sharp gasp escaped Dawn as her back hit the wall. Her book thudded to the floor, and once again Dawn found herself the helpless victim of Lucius Malfoy.

He studied her coolly. "Do you think it makes you a better person?" he asked suddenly.

Dawn frowned in confusion as she scanned the scene for an escape route. "What?" she asked, trying to stall while she waited for a chance to free herself.

"Being Sirius Black's bitch, I mean," Malfoy clarified.

Dawn looked back at him sharply. She wasn't quite sure what the seventh-year meant, but she was quickly heading past the point of caring. Anger was threading its way through her fear, slowly beginning to break it down.

"Clinging to those above you does not elevate you from your dirty roots, Mudblood," Malfoy hissed.

More elitist pureblood nonsense. Dawn almost sighed out loud. Why couldn't these Slytherins understand that Dawn and Sirius liking each other had nothing to do with the blood that flowed through their veins. It was really more of a chemistry thing. In fact, with the members of his family she'd met so far, Dawn was more inclined to say she liked Sirius _despite _his bloodlines.

"You don't know a damn thing about my roots," Dawn said, her voice quiet but firm. If the jerk didn't even know about the Vampire Slayers of her world, how on earth could he know about the Slayer's blood coursing through her veins?

Malfoy did not look impressed. "And nor do I care," he retorted snidely. "I've just come to give you a little warning from your dear boyfriend's cousins and brother. You know of them, I'm sure? Regulus, Narcissa and Bellatrix, the respectable members of the Black family."

Dawn snorted aloud at that and was immediately punished. Malfoy's large hand closed over her throat, squeezing just tight enough to make breathing distinctly uncomfortable for Dawn. Just tight enough to completely usurp any control she might've gained over the situation.

"The blood-traitor brings shame to his family. And since I myself will be married to a Black in the not-too-distant future, that shame annoys me as much as it does the rest of his family," Lucius' voice was low, Dawn was almost drowning in the oppressive, threatening tone. It was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach.

But Malfoy was not yet finished with her. "Black is too arrogant to admit the error of his ways, so it would be... wise for you to put a stop to this situation. The Dark Lord is on the rise, soon he will cleanse the world of the plague of muggles. You've no chance of survival, why take Black with you as a blood-traitor? And the Dark Lord will take great pleasure in personally obliterating those blood-traitors and Mudbloods who don't know their place. I did warn you not to forget your place... shall I remind you...?" his voice trailed off, but his hand was on the move.

Bile rose in Dawn's throat, she choked it back down with some difficulty as Malfoy's hands settled over her breasts. Dawn almost froze, almost shut down completely and accepted her usual powerless state. But then there was that Slayer's blood again, and with her heart beating so fast she thought it might explode, it was getting pumped around her body pretty quickly. In putting his rough, unforgiving hands where he'd dared to put them, Malfoy had sacrificed the stronghold with which he'd previously kept her in her place.

Her actions were hard and fast. She had to do this without thinking or she'd slow herself down and then she'd never get away. Dawn brought her arms up and used them to knock Malfoy's hands from her body. Before he could retaliate, she drove her shoulder hard into the centre of his chest, knocking him back a little. Malfoy was a lot bigger than her, so for all her effort she had only managed to force him a couple of steps away, but that was enough room for Dawn. She scrambled away, following the random stupid thought that popped into her head to pick up Isabel's book as she went. She didn't stop running for anything. Everything was a blur to Dawn, but she didn't care who or what she might slam into, so long as it wasn't Lucius Malfoy.

The arm caught her around the waist with perfect timing. Dawn was swung in a circle with the momentum, and found herself in a secluded little alcove with a hand clamped over her mouth to stop her drawing unwanted attention. Without stopping to look who'd grabbed her, Dawn bit down hard on the hand over her mouth... and Remus let out a howl of pain. He snatched his hand away and Dawn's eyes widened when she realised whose hand she'd very nearly just taken a chunk out of.

"Oh my God! Remus!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry. I thought you were- I mean, I didn't know- what are-?"

Remus shrugged, looking up from inspecting the deep bite marks he was now sporting. The skin was even broken at a couple of points. "It's ok Kitten. Sorry if I startled you."

"We sort of heard you coming," added a new voice, and for the first time Dawn noticed Isabel standing a few paces from her, her face flushed as she hurriedly smoothed back her hair. Dawn raised an eyebrow and fought back the smirk she felt trying to take over her face.

Remus' next words took care of any tendency of Dawn's to smile, though. "What were you doing, tearing through the halls like that, anyway?"

A tense silence settled over the trio. Dawn focused on a point just over Remus' shoulder, safely averting her gaze from his. What was she supposed to tell him?

"I'm interrupting," she blurted. "It's too crowded in here, I'll leave you guys alone."

But before she could make her escape, Remus had grabbed her arm gently and forced her to look into the concerned amber depths of his eyes. "Kitten, what's wrong?"

She couldn't lie. So she told them. She told Remus and Isabel all of it, the words flowing out of her mouth like water from a burst dam, and now it had begun there was nothing Dawn could do to stem the flow of her own voice. Dawn started from the beginning, babbling about everything from the very first time Malfoy had accosted her outside the Great Hall, to the time he'd grabbed her just after the argument with Lily, and the million and one times she'd felt him watching her, stalking her with those cold eyes of his wherever she went. Isabel was patting her hand supportively.

"And today?" Remus prodded tensely. His eyes were blazing, with their colouring they seemed to be on fire in his pale face. Remus wasn't vengeful by nature, but this time Lucius Malfoy really would have to pay. Nobody treated a Marauder (and yes, Dawn was most definitely one of them) like that and got away with it.

Dawn looked down, her eyes welling. Isabel's hand was now squeezing hers tightly. "He said that being with Sirius didn't make me any better than what I am, and when Voldemort gains power he'd kill me for trying to break into a pureblood family. And then he said," –Dawn let out a sob and struggled to go on- "He said if I didn't break up with Sirius now, he'd be killed too as a blood-traitor and it'd be all my fault," she practically wailed.

Isabel threw her arms around Dawn and Remus pulled both his female best friend and his girlfriend close to his chest. "Don't you even think of listening to that git, Dawnie," he ordered, sensing Dawn's nagging doubts.

"But what if he gests hurt because of me?" she whispered, frightened that if she even said it too loud it would come true. "Malfoy also said some things about his family, that Bellatrix, Narcissa and Regulus had sent him to warn me off Sirius. I don't want to make trouble for him with his family, it's not fair."

A sad sigh escaped Remus. "Dawn, there's been trouble between Sirius and the rest of his family ever since first year," he said gently. "The Sorting Hat gave him a choice between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and the rest of the Blacks could never accept that he chose the Gryffs. I'm not going to lie to you Kitten, we all know that his family will never approve of you, but Sirius stands for something very much opposed to their views and that's the source of conflict there. Whether or not you're dating him, there always has been and probably always will be animosity in that household for Sirius. I just think he'd be better equipped to handle it if he could count on your support."

At last, Dawn managed a smile and a nod. She loved Remus for his little lectures, they were gentle and sincere, always ringing with conviction and truth. "Thanks guys," she sighed, slipping out of the embrace and tossing them a quick smirk on her way out of the private little alcove. "Though three really is a crowd in here."

* * *

Remus pounced on Sirius the moment he set foot in the Common Room, forcing him into a private corner before anyone noticed his presence. "Padfoot, we need to talk."

Sirius grinned at his friend and went to brush by Remus. "C'mon Moony. Can't it wait until after I've made out with my girlfriend?"

"Funny you should mention her," Remus replied, his words far more successful in halting Sirius than the hand he'd laid on his arm. "That's sort of who we need to talk about."

"What about Dawn?" Sirius asked sharply.

The werewolf shot his Animagus friend a significant look. "This Parents' Weekend is getting closer," he began, hoping Sirius would catch on quickly now that he'd sort of broached the subject he was really getting at. "Have you and Dawn talked about that at all?"

"What's there to talk about?"

Cursing selective stupidity, Remus let out a huff of annoyance. "Well, your parents will be here..."

"Actually, my dear little brother's just told me Dad's working, so it's only Mum I've got to deal with," Sirius cut in with a would-be nonchalant shrug. "Which means I've just got to keep Dawn out of the old cow's way and everything will be fine."

Much as he hated to be the one to destroy a perfectly good delusion, Remus knew it was best he burst this particular bubble of Sirius' now. "And you don't think it might be a bit difficult to keep the girl distracted, what with her being the only student here with no family to visit her and all?"

Blink. Beat. "Oh hell."

"I think it'd be best if you gave her a fair warning. The dorm is empty, why don't you go on up and I'll send her after you," Remus suggested gently. Sirius nodded and disappeared upstairs to wait for Dawn.

She arrived only a few minutes later, the door creaked slightly when she gave it a tentative push. "Sirius? You in here?"

"Here, Kitten," he called from his position, sprawled out on his bed.

"Remus said you were waiting for me," Dawn offered, moving to his bedside. He grabbed her hand and hauled her up with him, waiting until she was quite comfortable with her head pillowed against his chest and her arm hooked around his waist before he spoke.

"Are you going to be alright this weekend- without your parents or Buffy being here, I mean?" he asked.

Dawn's reply was calm and unwavering, but Sirius couldn't help paying slightly more attention to the way she suddenly clung that much tighter to him. "I've come to terms with it, Sirius. I'll be fine, I'm sure."

She felt as if her brain would melt, just from the power of the quick little kiss Sirius pressed to the top of her head. "You know I'm here for you whenever you need me. It's just... my mother _is_ coming, and-"

"And you'll have to spend your time with her," Dawn finished for him. "It's ok, I understand. And hey, Isabel's already loaned me a book to keep me busy."

Sirius snorted. "Clearly you don't understand, Kitten. I don't have to spend the whole weekend with my mother, in fact I'd be happy if I went the entire weekend without setting eyes on the hag."

"You shouldn't say that about your mom," Dawn chided gently. "She can't be so bad."

Sirius' face darkened like the thunder. "She's worse," he muttered, causing Dawn to twist her head up to face him. "That's why I wanted to talk to you now, Kitten, to warn you what we're in for this weekend. My mother's very big on that pureblood supremacy crap, Dawnie, even Bellatrix at her worst doesn't compare. I'm sure by now Regulus has written and told her all about you and me, and she'll be itching to pick a fight."

He looked down at her then, and Dawn could see the deep sadness in his eyes, mirroring the pain the entire situation was causing him. "Look, Kitten, whatever happens I just wanted to tell you now how sorry I am, and I... I'd understand if you'd rather just steer clear of me for a couple of days," he sighed.

"No," Dawn had replied in a heartbeat. "Sirius, you've never got to be sorry for what your family is like, and I never want to hear you apologising for the things they'll do again, you understand me? And I'm not leaving you alone through this any more than you'd leave me to deal with it alone. We'll be ok, we'll get through this together."

He knew it was a serious moment, but Sirius just had to grin at the reassuring, soothing words she spoke. It was nice to know she'd stand by him. Dawn smiled back and stretched up to press her lips to his.

She hadn't intended it to be an overly long or forceful kiss, but before Dawn knew what was happening, her hands were buried in his hair and they were making out with more intensity than she'd ever known before. Sirius' hands found her waist, he grabbed Dawn and rolled her onto her back, shifting his body alongside her, so close he was half on top of her. Dawn was lost. Lost in the warm body almost covering her, in the even warmer mouth sealed firmly against hers and showing no signs of relenting, in the tongue that played against hers, coaxing it out of Dawn's mouth and into Sirius'.

It was with the strong, large hand that slid up over the cup of her bra that Dawn quite suddenly found herself again. She broke away with a startled gasp, and when she shrugged uncomfortably under his touch, Sirius took the hint to remove his hand and settle it more safely on her hip. Dawn drew in a deep, shuddering breath and willed the flashes of cold grey eyes and rough, unforgiving touches from her mind.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Sirius worried.

"No," Dawn breathed. "It was just getting a little intense is all."

Sirius started. Intense was a problem? Well, that was a first- no girl had ever complained to him about things getting intense before. A vague feeling of disappointment welled in Sirius as he moved to give Dawn a little more space, but it subsided just as quickly. "You don't want things to get intense?"

Now she was back in something of a comfort zone, Dawn's eyes danced with flirts and promises as they played off the half-smile on her lips. "Not yet."

**

* * *

**

**A.N:** Sorry it's short & sickeningly sweet in places! Parents weekend coming up next I promise!!! Don't forget to PLEASE R&R!! XX


	13. Losing My Religion

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing of Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or the REM song Losing My Religion. Don't sue!

**A/N:** Thanks reviewers, don't forget to check out my greatest journal for notes, see either chapter ten (twisting the hellmouth) or my homepage ) for the site. The review button is your friend (and my lifeline) so please use it.

CHAPTER TWELVE

**Losing My Religion**

_Life is bigger_

_It's bigger than you_

_And you are not me_

_The lengths that I will go to_

_The distance in your eyes_

_Oh no I've said too much_

_I set it up_

_That's me in the corner_

_That's me in the spotlight_

_Losing my religion_

_Trying to keep up with you_

_And I don't know if I can do it_

_Oh no I've said too much_

_I haven't said enough_

_I thought that I heard you laughing_

_I thought that I heard you sing_

_I think I though I saw you try_

* * *

All the fifth-year Gryffindors were gathered in the Common Room save for one.

"Where's Sirius?" Dawn murmured in Peter's ear.

He shrugged. "He wasn't in the dorm, I haven't seen him since Care of Magical Creatures," the chubby boy whispered back, hurriedly smoothing down his mousy hair.

Dawn shook her head slightly in reply. "No, he was in Divination with James and I after that, then he just disappeared on us."

They didn't have time to continue the conversation; Lily was ushering them all to the portrait hole to get to the front steps of the castle, where the parents would be arriving at any moment. The five girls and three boys hurried out to the entrance, where pretty much the rest of the school had already gathered.

Dumbledore and McGonagall had planned for a nice, ordered greeting where students would line up by year and House group so their parents would know just where to fins them. What they got was chaos at its most chaotic. As the carriages rolled up the drive, pulled by the Thestrals so few could actually see, students dodged in and out between them, looking in all the windows. Doors flew open as parents and children fought to get at each other, shrieks and laughter pierced the chilly dusk.

"Ok, has anyone seen their par-" Lily turned to speak to her group and broke off abruptly. Only James and Dawn still stood behind her. She sighed, then simply shrugged at Dawn and hurled herself into the fray, fighting her way towards a blond woman and a tall man with red hair the exact same shade as hers.

Dawn felt James' fingers squeeze her own in a show of support. "All right, Kitten?"

She forced a small smile. Her family's absence only hurt if she allowed herself to think about it. "I'm ok, James, I promise. Now _go_. You know you want to."

James grinned in appreciation, tossed a quick "I'll be back in a bit," in her direction, and plunged into the crowd, leaving Dawn completely alone. She stood around awkwardly for a few minutes, watching the rest of the students greeting their families. Stretching up on her toes, Dawn craned her neck to try and catch sight of one of her friends in the throng, bout found no-one. She sighed and plopped back into a more flat-footed stance. Giving up, and figuring she should probably let the boys spend what little time they had with their parents, Dawn moved to head off to the Great Hall for dinner alone.

"Where d'you think you're sneaking off to?" a voice hissed in her ear as a pair of arms clamped about her waist, knocking her off balance.

Dawn squealed loudly. "James!" she hissed back, batting a hand at his arm. "You scared the death outta me!"

"Sorry," James grinned, as usual looking supremely unapologetic. Dawn frowned at him until she caught sight of the two people he was with and her trademark bashfulness kicked in.

"Kitten, this is my Mum and Dad. Mum, Dad, this is our Kitten, Dawn Summers," James introduced, stepping clear of her so she was left void of any cover.

"Hi," Dawn stammered, blushing as each of the senior Potters shook her hand.

"Lovely to meet you at last, Dawn. James has told us so much about you in his letters," Mrs Potter smiled warmly, hazel eyes so much like James' twinkling at the timid young girl.

Petrified, Dawn's eyes widened. Dear God, what exactly had James been saying about her? Seeing the look of terror come over her, James started to laugh. "It was all good, Kitten, don't you worry," he assured her, playfully ruffling her hair.

As she was smoothing it back down, something, or rather someone caught Dawn's eye. A stern-looking, formidable woman in a heavy black cloak stalked past, shooting a contemptuous glare at James as she went. And right by her side was Regulus Black. Something clicked in Dawn's mind.

"Was that Sirius' mom?" she asked quietly in James' ear. James, eyeing both the woman and Regulus with severe dislike, merely nodded. They all headed to the Great Hall for dinner, Mr Potter embarrassing and pleasing Dawn all at once by insisting she join them for the meal, but Dawn still caught no sign of Sirius.

Dawn sat down with the Potters, next to James, and Remus soon joined her on the other side with his family, with the Pettigrews sitting across the table from them. But still no sign of Sirius. Dawn was introduced to both Remus and Peter's parents as Dumbledore stood to open the feast.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, parents of our young Witches and Wizards. I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay, please make the castle your home for the weekend. And now I invite you to eat, drink and be merry. Tuck in."

At the last two words, large and extravagant platters of food had appeared on the tables, but Dawn was so busy craning her neck to see if Sirius had come in yet that she didn't notice. Remus placed a calming hand on her arm.

"He'll be here when he's ready, Dawnie. Just give him some time," the werewolf said quietly.

Dawn frowned to herself. Sure, Sirius had mentioned at least a hundred times that he and his mother didn't get along, but she didn't believe it could be that bad, really. Could it? She turned her attention to her dinner, but as the happy conversation swirled around her, Dawn felt a jolt of homesickness so strong it was almost a physical pain. She was brought out of herself by the realisation that Mrs Potter's friendly chatter was being directed at her, but the questions were hardly distracting from her pain.

"So your family has not come, Dawn? That's a shame, dear, why couldn't they make it?" Mrs Potter enquired innocently. Remus and James both flinched inwardly, hoping Dawn would be able to handle the painful personal questions. If she became upset in front of everybody, they both knew it would only lead to further pain and embarrassment for their sensitive friend. Remus cursed himself for not thinking to warn all their parents earlier about the dangers of drawing attention to the absence of Dawn's family.

Dawn inhaled deeply before calmly answering the question, albeit quietly. "They're too far away."

"What do your parents do? If you don't mind my asking, of course," Mr Potter piped up.

"Um... well, uh... I don't know..." Dawn paled.

"You don't know?" Mr Lupin broke in with a frown. "What does that mean?"

James and Remus immediately grabbed one of Dawn's hands each under the table and she felt a little better under their influence. "Well, my Dad left before my tenth birthday, I've probably only seen him three times since. He's some sort of businessman, I guess. And my Mom... she died about nine months ago. Brain tumour. After that it was just me and my sister Buffy, but with everything that's happened this last year, we were separated and even Professor Dumbledore couldn't find her."

"Oh Dawn!" Mrs Potter exclaimed, reaching around her son to give the girl he'd described as a sister a comforting squeeze. Dawn smiled at the motherly gesture, the few tears sparkling in her eyes drying up.

During the exchange, she hadn't noticed Sirius quietly come into the Great Hall and sit down a few seats along from the Lupins. It was several minutes before she flicked her gaze along the extended Gryffindor table and fixed on a familiar wave of black hair. Dawn stared at Sirius as he morosely chased his food around his plate, feeling the urge to run up and throw her arms around him. She turned her head towards the Slytherin table, where Mrs Black was glaring venomously at her eldest son.

"Excuse me," Dawn said quickly, pushing her empty plate away and getting out of her seat. She walked along the Gryffindor table to slip in beside her boyfriend, and Sirius slowly turned his head to fix uncharacteristically dull blue eyes on her, as if mildly surprised to see his own girlfriend. Forgetting her usual shyness in public, Dawn wrapped an arm about Sirius' waist.

"I was worried," she whispered. "Are you alright, Sirius?"

He shrugged moodily, stabbing at a piece of chicken with his fork. "You should've stuck with the Potters. She's gonna be on your case too, now," he mumbled.

"I was worried about you," Dawn repeated, choosing to ignore his warning. "Please eat something, you'll need your strength. Isn't that what you lot are always telling me?" she reminded him with a cute smile.

Finally cracking a small smile of his own, Sirius gave Dawn a quick peck on the cheek and began to eat properly. Dawn felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck and turned to face the source of her discomfort.

A pair of pale blue eyes, the exact colour and shape as Sirius' were boring into hers. However, there was one big difference between the eyes of mother and son; Mrs Black's eyes were ice-cold, and Dawn resisted the urge to shiver under the frozen glare. She could see Regulus whispering something in his mother's ear, and distinctly saw his lips form the word 'Mudblood' more than once. A flash of anger coursed through Dawn's veins as she turned back to face her place at the table. She didn't really care what the Blacks thought of her, she knew they'd never see past her 'dirty' blood anyway, but how dare they be so callous to their own flesh and blood? Especially someone with a heart the size of Sirius'. Unconsciously, she shifted a little closer to him and tightened her hold on his waist.

"I'm all right Kitten, don't sweat it. Really," he blessed her with a wide grin, some of the devious sparkle reviving in his eyes. Dawn shifted over to give him some space. "I didn't mean for you to move," he pouted, feeling her arm slip away.

Dawn giggled as Sirius wrapped his arms around her waist and tried to pull her into his lap. "Stop it," she blushed, slapping at his hands. "We're in the middle of the entire school!"

"Maybe they could learn something," Sirius smirked, leaning into her neck.

"Black!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out from the Head table, freezing Sirius in his tracks. Dawn's cheeks were flaming with embarrassment, which only deepened when Sirius opened his mouth to speak.

"We'll finish this later," he told her, drawing loud snickers from students and parents alike within earshot.

"You wish," Dawn mumbled, at which Peter, Remus and James in particular snorted loudly.

"Bad luck, Padfoot," James called, laughing.

"I quite like her," Mr Potter commented as a tiny smile finally creased Dawn's lips.

"Very sweet girl. She'll be good for these boys of ours," Mrs Potter predicted, to which Remus and Peter's parents quickly agreed.

Dinner finally ended when Dumbledore dismissed the students to their dormitories and invited the parents to make their way to the fourth floor, and their accommodation. Dawn was pleased to note the way Mr Potter warmly shook Sirius' hand in greeting, and Mrs Potter gave him one of her motherly hugs and a kiss on the cheek. The five friends, and three sets of their parents walked together up to the fourth floor, where the Lupins, Potters and Pettigrews all said their goodnights and disappeared into their rooms. The group turned to make their way upstairs to Gryffindor tower when a bony hand closed around Sirius' upper arm.

"I want a word with you," Mrs Black snarled in his ear, yanking him roughly aside.

"Hi Mum. Good to see you too," Sirius snapped, yanking his arm right back. The others silently watched the altercation, the boys all-too used to the show, though Dawn's eyes were wide and fearful and James' hand was gripping her arm.

"Where have you been, boy? I left specific instruction for you to be waiting for me with your brother. We were to dine together at the Slytherin table, where those of the noble house of Black belong."

"I don't belong there," Sirius seethed.

Mrs Black arched an eyebrow. "No. You belong up in your tower of Mudbloods and worse, blood-traitor!"

"Better than your stinking dungeon!" Sirius burst out suddenly, turning on his heel and storming away, pushing roughly past his friends in the process.

Dawn shook James off and fled after him, leaving the other three boys far behind. However, Sirius had a head start, and he could move very quickly when it suited him, so he was all the way up in the boys' dorm when she caught him.

"Sirius?" she asked quietly, pushing the door open.

She jumped back in alarm at the sound of glass shattering against a wall. Sirius stood in the middle of the room, panting and shaking with anger.

"Sirius?" Dawn tried again, taking a few timid steps towards him. He did not respond. He stood, still quavering with rage, staring at the remains of the glass water goblet he'd pitched with all his might at the far wall. Dawn bit her lip. He was scaring her a little, the way Spike used to sometimes, on the rare occasion when the vampire truly lost his temper. Very quietly, as if afraid making too much of a sound would set Sirius off again, she skirted him and made her way over to the shards of glass.

"_Reparo_," she flicked her wand and the glass reformed into the best water goblet Dawn could manage, which she picked up and set on the nearest bedside table, Remus'. It seemed that with her spell Sirius had finally noticed her presence.

When Dawn turned around, he was looking at her, the fury slowly seeping out of him although his eyes still flashed dangerously. Suddenly unafraid, Dawn he'd hurt her no more than Spike ever would, she rushed over and enveloped him in the tightest hug she could manage.

Sirius felt the slender arms lock around him and latched onto Dawn, drawing comfort from the warmth of her body. He buried his face in her silky hair.

"Hey Kitten," he mumbled, soft brown strands tickling his lips.

"Hey yourself Padfoot," Dawn returned, blushing into his neck a little. Much as she'd come to love the nickname the boys had given her, she never could quite get used to actually saying 'Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs' herself.

"I'm sorry," she finally said, her breath warm against his neck.

"Sorry for what?" Sirius frowned. She hadn't done anything wrong. Merlin, he didn't think she was even capable of doing anything wrong.

Eyes shining with heartbroken tears threatening to fall, Dawn looked up and held Sirius' gaze. "That they can't appreciate you for who you are. They're really missing out on something special," she explained, referring to his mother and brother.

Sirius stared down at Dawn, moved beyond words. Nobody had ever told him he was something special before, unless they were referring to his knack for getting into trouble. He was hit with a tidal wave of emotion so suddenly and powerfully that he didn't even have time to brace himself. Sirius snapped his eyes closed, but not before Dawn recognised the fat tears welling in them. Wordlessly, she took him by the hand and led him to his bed, pushing him gently down to the mattress. Dawn hopped up beside him and stretched herself out before reaching for Sirius.

As Dawn drew his head down to cradle into her neck, a single, anguished sob escaped Sirius' throat. She tightened her embrace and he burrowed himself deeper into her neck, pride forgotten as the tears began to fall.

Half an hour later, Remus stepped into the boys' dorm to check on the couple. He smirked and shook his head at the sight of them. They were both fast asleep on top of the covers of Sirius' bed, Dawn laid out on her back with Sirius' tearstained face cradled into the crook of her neck. As the werewolf watched, Sirius shifted in his sleep so he was now pillowed against Dawn's chest, a dreamy smile washing over his face.

"Padfoot, you really are a dog, mate," Remus muttered under his breath, tugging the curtains of his friend's bed closed.

* * *

There was something pressing against her chest, holding her down. Dawn slowly opened her eyes, almost afraid of what she would find until she laid eyes on her captor. Sirius was sleeping soundly, half on top of her, a contented smile playing around the corners of his mouth. 

And Dawn wasn't surprised he was happy, despite the horrible night he'd had. His face was snuggled right into certain girly parts of hers, and to top off the effect, at some point during the night a few of her buttons had popped open, meaning that when Sirius woke up, the first view he would be treated to was a nice view of her rose pink, lacy bra.

Dawn could feel the hear creeping up her cheeks at just the thought of it, and was certain her heart was slamming against her ribcage so loud that it could wake Sirius at any moment. Very slowly, inch by inch, she extracted herself from Sirius' embrace, tugging her skirt free when it got caught under him. She hastily refastened her shirt before slipping through the bed curtains. She blinked a moment in the pale early morning light.

With the stealth of someone who'd done so many times, Dawn slipped from the fifth-year boys' dorms, down the stairs, across the dull Common Room and up into the fifth-year girls' dorms undetected. Creeping silently around, she gathered her things and went into the bathroom for a long, hot shower. She knew she could take her time because Lily was the only other girl who rose at a decent hour on Saturdays, even the Saturdays with Quidditch matches, like this one.

Forty-five minutes later, Dawn stepped into the near-deserted Great Hall for breakfast. She sat alone with a bowl of cereal and a plate of toast until a new voice caught her attention.

"Mind if I join you, dear?"

"Not at all. Good morning Mrs Potter," Dawn smiled at the woman who'd claimed the seat beside her. She turned her attention back to her breakfast for the time being, still a little unsure of James' mother.

"Um... are you excited about the Quidditch match today?" she finally asked, making a brave stab at conversation.

Mrs Potter rewarded Dawn for her efforts with a bright smile over her coffee. "Oh yes, Dawn. But only because James is playing. Parents rarely get to see their children play while they're at Hogwarts. It's a shame it's Gryffindor versus Slytherin though, those games were far too rough even in my day."

"You played Quidditch?" Dawn blinked stupidly.

Mrs Potter let out a light laugh. "Oh Merlin no! I could barely even get a broomstick in the air. It was Mr Potter on the Gryffindor team, though he was a natural Seeker, not a Chaser like James."

"Oh," Dawn said, feeling stupid.

"Do you enjoy Quidditch, Dawn?" Mrs Potter asked gently, sensing the girl's sudden quietness. "Are you excited for today's match?"

Dawn shrugged. "I've never seen an actual game, but James took me down to watch a couple of practices a few weeks ago. It seems a bit rough, and so easy to get hurt! I'll probably have my face buried in Sirius' shoulder with a death grip on his hand the entire time," she predicted with a little grimace.

"I can't imagine Sirius minding," Mrs Potter noted with a giggled Dawn couldn't help but match.

"Uh-oh, they're giggling. That's one of the signs of the apocalypse," James moaned as the Potter men arrived at the slowly filling Gryffindor table.

"No, that's Buffy buying formal wear," Dawn returned absently, missing the quizzical glances James' parents shot at her.

"Right. Well, giggling females is definitely a danger zone, in any event," Mr Potter deadpanned. "Morning dear. Good morning, Dawn. How are you?"

"Fine thanks Mr Potter. Hey James."

"Morning Sunshine," James quipped in a sing-song sort of voice, ruffling Dawn's hair annoyingly before heaping his plate an inch high with bacon and eggs. "Need my strength for the match," he reasoned.

"You don't have a match every day," Dawn countered, seeing no difference from his usual breakfast.

"Good point," James conceded and added another layer to his mountain of food.

"Hey, where can I get one of those?" asked Sirius as he materialised at the table and stared at James' plate. "Morning, Mr and Mrs P, morning Dawnie," he slid in beside her, smacking a quick kiss to Dawn's temple as he went.

Breakfast passed quickly, as the boys could all eat at a phenomenal pace, and soon enough Dawn found herself wedged in between Sirius and Peter in the stands, waiting for the Quidditch match due to begin within minutes. Remus had departed for his commentary position in the top box, Professor McGonagall by his side, sending him stern warning looks. The normally polite, well-spoken boy had an uncanny tendency to lose his temper and his head in the heat of the moment when he commentated. Especially when Gryffindor and Slytherin were involved. Suddenly, the werewolf's booming voice, magnified by his magical megaphone, filled the air.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup. Today's match has Slytherin going up against the undefeated might of Gryffindor!"

At this, the doors leading to the locker rooms banged open and seven scarlet blurs streaked into the sky, closely followed by seven green streaks. Screams and cheers echoed loudly as even the visiting parents joined their children in barracking for their team of choice. Sirius fought the urge to laugh as he watched Dawn's fingers twitching suspiciously like she wanted to clap them over her ears. Madam Hooch began the match by releasing the Snitch, the Bludgers, and tossing up the Quaffle, and Remus' commentary was almost drowned out by the crowd.

The players zoomed around, weaving in and out between each other, James with the Quaffle tucked safely under his arm. One of the Slytherin Beaters belted a Bludger at him; Dawn shrieked and seized Sirius' arm, but James merely dodged the Bludger and hurled the Quaffle almost lazily through the left-side hoop.

"Ten points, Gryffindor!" Remus yelled excitedly. "First goal of the match comes two minutes in, scored by none other than star Chaser James Potter! Slytherin in possession now, snaking their way down the pitch-"

"Lupin!" McGonagall snapped harshly. "It is not possible for one to 'snake' on a broomstick."

"Then it's a wonder Slytherin is even able to field a team," Remus remarked. "Right then, back to the action. Slytherin Chaser takes aim and ooh, nice deflection by the Gryffindor Keeper. It's Gryffindor back in control now..."

The game wore on, becoming increasingly more violent as Gryffindor pulled further and further away from Slytherin, who played dirtier and dirtier as their frustrations increased. By the third time James had been blindsided by a Bludger courtesy of the Slytherin Beaters, Dawn had her face buried so deeply into Sirius' neck, her arms clamped so tight around his waist, he was beginning to wonder if he would be able to extract her by the time he next needed to use the bathroom. Remus, meanwhile, was becoming increasingly passionate and forgetful of McGonagall's presence in his commentary.

"Prong- Potter back in possession now, and I daresay he has a nasty lump on that hard noggin' of his by now, two on his tail, deck them both James! –Only joking, Professor," Remus added as an afterthought, swinging his megaphone out of Professor McGonagall's reach.

"Potter still streaking towards the goal, but what's this? BOTH SEEKERS HAVE SPOTTED THE SNITCH!"

Even Dawn turned her head just slightly away from the safety of Sirius' neck to watch the two Seekers pelting neck-and-neck towards the far end of the pitch. The entire stadium held its breath as one as the Seekers drew closer and closer to the fluttering Snitch. Suddenly, one of the Slytherin Chasers sped towards the Gryffindor Seeker, looking to knock him off course from behind.

"Oh no!" Remus screamed into his megaphone. "Slytherin as usual going for the behind the back shot on the Gryffindor Seeker, the dirty gits –but what's this?- Potter storming into the fray-!"

Dawn shrieked as James pelter full-speed at the three other players grouped together, sure he'd crash into the lot of them and go tumbling all that way to the ground. She heard a series of sounds around her, Peter squeaking in fright, Mrs Potter, Mrs Lupin and Mrs Pettigrew all gasping audibly, Mr Potter's voice saying "James!" in a forbidding undertone, but she barely registered them. Sirius had tensed against her, Dawn pointedly ignored the considerable four-letter word that slipped from his lips, so softly he probably didn't even realise he'd said it aloud.

The game of chicken continued to play out in the air, neither James or the two Slytherins he was up against seemed willing to back down. The Gryffindor Seeker had edged over a few inches, just to give James an opening. It was with just a metre to spare that James made his move. Using the gap the Seeker had provided, he angled his broom that way and slowed suddenly, the back end of his broom swinging partially into the Slytherins' paths. While the Slytherin Seeker and Chaser were deflected by James, the Gryffindor Seeker zipped in behind him and scooped up the Snitch. Remus was screaming into his megaphone by this stage.

"The deflection by Potter and the Gryffindor Seeker snatches up the Golden Snitch! That's game over for Slytherin, Gryffindor wins!"

There was a pregnant pause during which every spectator exhaled, taking the time to process two very important facts. The first was that the game was over, the second was that nobody had died. Then there was chaos in the stands, all of Gryffindor and most of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were screaming at the top of their lungs. The Slytherin section was moodily quiet for the most part, although some of the green-clad spectators were crying foul over James' tactics. The Gryffindor team were embracing mid-air, James' broad grin was barely visible in amongst the tangle of arms.

Sirius shared a look with Peter over Dawn's head. When Peter nodded in understanding, Sirius grabbed Dawn's elbow. "C'mon," he breathed in her ear.

They waved to the parents and fought their way through the stands. When they were clear of the bulk of the spectators, Dawn shot a questioning glance at Sirius and Peter. "Where are we sneaking off to?"

"Hogsmeade," Peter whispered. "We need supplies for the party."

"What party?"

"The victory party, of course," Peter replied in a voice that just screamed 'duh' as they arrived at the statue of the one-eyes witch. Dawn helped Peter keep a lookout while Sirius tapped the hump of the witch with his wand.

"_Dissendium_."

"Wicked cool," Dawn grinned as an opening appeared. They slid into the dark tunnel, Peter tripping and slamming into his more lithe friends so the trio landed in an ungainly heap on the ground. Hearing the winces coming from beneath him, Peter quickly scrambled up.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's ok Peter," Dawn assured him. A moment later she was giggling wildly as Sirius' lips found her throat in the dark and left a little trail of kisses along the column.

"Don't mind in the least, Wormtail," Sirius joked, his voice muffled due to the fact that he'd chosen to keep his lips attached to Dawn's skin. She giggled harder and nuzzled him affectionately.

Peter finally located his wand and lit it up, prompting Sirius to scramble to their feet and brush the dirt from their clothing. They lit their own wands, and the three wandered off down the passage towards Honeydukes.

"How are we going to get away with a party this afternoon?" Dawn had to ask. "I mean, everyone except me has at least one parent here. That's a lot of parents to catch us, not to mention all those Professors."

Sirius smirked. "You know how I love a challenge."

"Besides," Peter piped up. "My Dad told us while you were busy screaming at James getting hit by a Bludger that there's a meeting with all the parents and Professors this afternoon. Every adult in the castle will be in the Great Hall."

Dawn arched an eyebrow at a sheepishly grinning Sirius. "Challenging, honey. Really."

* * *

"You look pretty," Sirius commented as Dawn stepped into the Common Room, dressed in her dress robes of soft blue. 

"You're looking pretty good yourself," Dawn replied, casting an appreciative eye over Sirius in his own dress robes. They were solid black, but much sharper and sleeker than his regular school robes.

They wandered slowly towards the Great Hall, neither in any particular hurry, both enjoying the final few moments of peace in which they could be alone. There were very few people still milling around outside the Great Hall, most had already gone in to find a seat. The House tables were gone, only the Head table remained in its usual spot, the rest of the Hall had been given over to numerous small tables that could seat up to six people.

There wasn't a place for Sirius at the table of Blacks. Mrs Black and Regulus were sitting with Bellatrix, Narcissa and their parents, Sirius didn't even waste a glance in their direction. James waved them over to where he and his parents were sitting, about as far from most of the Slytherins as possible.

"C'mon," James called happily. "You two are eating with us."

"We insist," his mother added, and there was something in her sweet tone that told the young couple declining the offer was not an option. Not that they'd ever want to decline.

Dawn and Sirius sank gratefully into their chairs. There was one spare seat at their table but nobody seemed to mind. At the next table over sat the unlikely combination of the Evans and Pettigrew families. Lily's muggle parents, fascinated by all things magical, were plying all three Pettigrews with questions, though the Wizarding family looked only too pleased to answer. Lily herself merely looked bored. Dawn waved and the redhead rolled her eyes. A moment later she was nodding her head pointedly at another nearby table. Dawn shifted discreetly to look.

Isabel and Remus were sharing a table, though with both sets of their parents crowding in on each side Dawn had never seen either of them looking so distinctly uncomfortable. The parents of the two dating half-blooded students were chattering easily away together, though with the way Isabel's father kept rapid-firing questions at Remus without warning, the poor boy was going paler than the day before the full moon. Every inch of Isabel's expression was screaming 'Merlin save me!', Dawn shot her a wince of sympathy. Then she shared another look with Lily and the two girls broke into fits of silent giggles.

"Er, Dawn? What's so funny?" James frowned.

Reigning in control of herself, Dawn smiled brightly. "Don't worry about it James. Just girl talk,' she explained.

Sirius and James shared a confused look with James' father, but Mrs Potter's face held a knowing smile. James opened his mouth to ask.

"Don't ask honey," his mother cut across him and Dawn giggled.

There were little menus set by each plate at the table, Dawn noticed for the first time when the males she was dining with picked theirs up to study them. A quick glance about the Hall showed her that somehow a few tables were already filled with food.

"What do you want for dinner, Kitten?" Sirius asked, not lifting his eyes from scanning the choices before him.

"A Happy Meal," Dawn murmured absently, busy trying to lip-read the story Mrs Lupin was animatedly telling a giggling Isabel while Remus sank lower and lower in his seat. Finally she turned her attention back to her own table and blinked.

"I was being sarcastic," she told the nonplussed Happy Meal now set before her.

"I didn't even know the House-Elves could do that," James said, and promptly ordered a pizza. Dawn dug around in the bright cardboard Happy Meal box that looked completely out of place at Hogwarts.

"Ooh, they even packed the little toy surprise!" she squealed in delight and dug out her toy. She examined the fluffy little kitten key-ring in her hand, then passed it to Sirius. "It's no multicoloured glass rose, but you can have it if you like."

"Aw, honey, you shouldn't have!" Sirius grinned, smacking a loud kiss to Dawn's cheek. He looked his gift over happily before stowing it safely in his pocket.

James was making gagging noises over his pizza but his parents were smiling dreamily at each other, the adorable display of affection reawakening memories of their own childhood romance. But not all who had watched the little moment between Sirius and Dawn were smiling. Trying to ignore the sensation of being watched would be like trying to ignore Voldemort himself taking the spare seat at their table and joining them for a quick bite to eat.

Dawn automatically looked to the left. Lucius Malfoy and Rodolphus Lestrange leered at her. She looked to the right. An entire table of Blacks were glaring at her. She tore her gaze hastily away from them and shifted uncomfortably. Sirius looked at her out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. The meal wore on, though Dawn and Sirius felt forced into an uncomfortable sort of silence. Dawn had never been particularly at ease under the spotlight, but the glares Sirius' family had zeroed in on them were not so much like spotlights as laser death-rays. She was counting the seconds until they figured out the easiest way to turn her into a puddle of Mudblood goo on the ground. It felt like forever before the remains of everybody's meals disappeared, Dumbledore gave everybody a moment to stand before the tables were whisked off to the sides.

"I trust you are enjoying your time together," Dumbledore smiled happily. "Now, I'd like to invite our students to join their parents for the opening dance of the evening."

James cocked an eyebrow at his mother. "Well come on then. Let's get this over with, woman!"

Mrs Potter only laughed and placed her hand in her son's. "And to think your father and I were actually wondering why you hadn't got yourself a nice girlfriend."

Sirius sniggered, though his smile faltered when he saw his own mother stand up with Regulus. Dawn squeezed his hand under the table. Mr Potter watched the interaction with a thoughtful expression before fixing Dawn with a pointed look.

"You know, I'd really love to dance," he hinted with all the subtlety of an exploding dungbomb.

"I'll dance with you, Mr P," Sirius joked.

Dawn's smile was just a little bittersweet. Her own Dad had never, ever danced with her. A part of her felt a little guilty for not particularly caring that Hank Summers had lost all his chances without even knowing it.

"Mr Potter, would you like to dance with me?" she blushed.

He grinned, and in that moment both Dawn and Sirius caught a glimpse of what James would look like as an adult. "I'd be honoured, Miss Summers."

Dawn's gaze flickered to Sirius in silent askance, and he immediately gave a nod of permission, allowing Dawn to be led to the dance floor by his best friend's father. Sirius stood off to the side, a lone spectator until he was joined by Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigrew.

"Looks like we've all been shafted," Mr Lupin joked easily.

Dawn knew she was giggling far too much, but she couldn't help it. Mr Potter was a riot, she could see so much of James when she looked at him. The thin face, long fingers, messy hair, the wild, humorous streak a mile wide... James had got it all right here. He was telling her about the time his boss, the Head Auror Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody had turned three rabbits inside-out because they'd hopped across a crime scene. Apparently he'd thought they might be the attackers returning and wasn't willing to take any chances, and Dawn was thinking Anya would like the ending to that story.

She was also thinking Xander would have enjoyed hearing about Mr Potter taking Sirius and James with him to work at the Ministry of Magic one day, when the boys were just seven years old. They'd come across a nine year-old Lucius Malfoy, and instantly disliking him, had somehow managed to pour a box of red-ants down the blonde's robes and get away undetected. If he hadn't heard them holed up in the men's room gloating over it, Mr Potter swore he'd never have even suspected the innocent-faced boys.

As her giggles began to subside, Dawn once again felt the countless hostile glares trained on her. It wasn't long before she was moping and staring at her feet, and Mr Potter was watching her sympathetically, though he did not truly understand the source of Dawn's sudden disquiet.

"I'm sorry your family couldn't be here, Dawn," he said softly.

Dawn glanced up, trying to smile for his benefit. "Me too. But I'm ok, you know, in good company and all that."

A grin flashed over Mr Potter's face before it settled into a look of caring, something paternal that Dawn no longer recognised as a part of her own contrived past. "I'm sure they'd have loved to be here, and they'd be so proud to see what you're becoming. You're a wonderful young lady, Dawn, and I'm proud to have met you."

Dawn's eyes were suddenly over-bright, wet with tears. Mr Potter pushed her chin up slightly, a nervous edge creeping into his demeanour. "Hey now, no crying on my watch. Jams will kill me!"

Dawn blinked the tiny droplets back. "Thankyou," she choked as the dance came to an end.

Lily and Isabel cut in and whisked her off to dance with them, though Dawn could never quite relax and just enjoy herself with all the unwanted attention she was receiving. Those people who unfortunately happened to be related to her boyfriend were just relentless! Every which way she turned, there was one of them giving her the evil eye. Or if not a Black, then another Slytherin... Lucius Malfoy, Rodolphus Lestrange, and she was pretty sure Severus Snape had actually poked his tongue out at her one time. Classy. Dawn closed her eyes and willed it all to go away.

Remus had been standing by with James, Sirius and James' father, but he spotted something and wandered off all of a sudden. Sirius and James, however, were under intense questioning from Mr Potter, with no such hope of escape.

"Still after that fiery little redhead, son?"

"Oh yes," James replied enthusiastically.

"That old-fashioned Potter charm worn her down yet?"

Sirius sniggered. "The Potter charm work on the Tigerlily? Yeah, right."

James glared at his supposed best friend, though the blow was softened somewhat by his unshakeable broad grin. "Evans danced with me last Hogsmeade night, and I haven't been hexed by her in almost two weeks. That's a record, Dad!"

Sirius leaned over to speak confidentially to Mr Potter. "That last bat-bogey hex Lily hit him with was so bad Dawn got really upset and begged her not to do it again. Then I had to give her a galleon to bribe Evans to stop hexing him."

The elder Potter chuckled. "And speaking of Dawn... given up on chasing random skirts, I see Sirius. It's nice to see you maturing a little more this year," he commented as if Sirius was one of his own.

Sirius couldn't wipe the grin from his face if he tried. Even with his family trying their hardest to place the Cruciatus curse on him by the power of their steely glares. "Think I've found a winner, Mr P," he had surprisingly little trouble admitting.

"Not with my sister you don't," James muttered.

Remus, meanwhile, had timed his movements to perfection. Lucius Malfoy arrived at the otherwise deserted punchbowl a mere second before him. The older boy looked him up and down with a sneer, but Remus did not back down. He wasn't a Marauder for nothing.

"Stay away from her," he said, quiet and calm as you please, casually pouring himself a goblet of punch.

"Are you threatening me, half-blood?" Malfoy returned waspishly.

"I'm warning you," Remus countered, allowing a slight wolfish growl into his normally cultured tones. "You hurt her, and I'll make damned sure you regret it a thousand times over."

Malfoy laughed. "What makes you think you can hurt me, pathetic little piece of trash that you are?"

"What makes you think it's just me you've got to worry about?"

With that final, lingering threat, Remus pushed past Malfoy, careful to knock into the bigger boy's shoulder as he went. Malfoy scowled, then took a sip of punch from his goblet. Less than five minutes later, he had broken out with a severe case of acne... snot green acne. Remus fingered the empty vial in his pocket with a rare self-satisfied grin. It didn't even cross the mind of a single Professor to question him over the Slytherin's alarming new affliction.

Dawn soon tired of dancing- it was no fun when several people seemed to be willing her to fall flat on her face and make a fool of herself anyway. And when she caught Bellatrix trying to slip her wand out discreetly, Dawn thought it best she clear out before the other girl could get a clear shot at her. She quickly sought out Sirius, alone at a table, though when she sat they settled into an uncomfortable silence and avoided each other's gazes.

"I'm sorry," Sirius finally mumbled to the table, but Dawn gave a slight shake of her head.

"It's not your fault. I already told you, you don't need to be sorry for what's not your fault, remember?" she murmured back, her attention also fairly well fixed on the table.

"Kitten? Thanks for being here," Sirius finally offered, causing Dawn to look up and catch his eye. They leaned in simultaneously, for a split second forgetting their host of critics who, unfortunately, had most definitely not forgotten them. Sirius and Dawn's lips had touched ever so lightly, just for one brief moment.

"Disgusting," a chilling voice sneered.

When the pair pulled hastily apart, Bellatrix was standing just behind Sirius' chair, contempt rolling off her in waves. Dawn stared up at the dark-featured girl while Sirius twisted in his seat to glare.

"The shame of it all, cousin. Flaunting it about out here in front of everyone- in front of your _mother_," Bellatrix hissed. She nodded her head at an unbelievably irate-looking Mrs Black, watching the scene from nearby. Sirius glanced coolly at his mother, the only sign of acknowledgement he afforded her.

"I've hexed you once before, Bella. What makes you think I'd hesitate the second time?" he asked quietly, seriously. Both cousins were reaching for their wands, but Dawn surprised them (and herself) by being on her feet with her own wand in hand well before either Black was ready to attack.

"Back off," she said quietly, her eyes wide but locked determinedly onto the dark depths of Bellatrix's.

"What did you just say to me, Mudblood?" Bellatrix snapped.

Dawn would've given every pair of knickers the boys had bought her just to be able to cringe and hide behind Sirius until the scary girl slithered away. But if she hid behind Sirius now, she'd be hiding behind him forever. And he'd probably get sick of being a human shield. She squared her shoulders and clenched her fists, more to stop the shaking from being too noticeable than to appear intimidating.

"I said back off." Well, that had come out more forceful than she'd dared hope for. Maybe she should've added a 'bitch' to that. She was acutely aware of all the movement around her, she sensed Bellatrix's friends drawing closer just as she knew her own were massing at her back, but Dawn steeled herself to hold her adversary's stare.

"Miss Black! Miss Summers!"

Even if she was about to get into trouble, Dawn had never been so glad to hear the ever-stern voice of Professor McGonagall. "This is no time for petty arguments, lower those wands immediately! An appalling display in front of all these parents, indeed! That's twenty points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin for your behaviour!"

With an obviously false nod of contrition, Bellatrix turned and stalked off, her friends withdrawing alongside her. Dawn drew in a shuddering breath and looked down. Sirius' mother's glare had just intensified a thousand-fold. McGonagall gave her a slightly softened look, as if she was sorry for having to punish Dawn, and left the scene.

"Kitten," Sirius began, laying his hand on her shoulder. "Are you-"

"I'm sorry- I can't," Dawn gasped, shoving his hand off of her. "They're watching me, I can't stand it anymore."

She fled, leaving Sirius standing alone in the middle of a crowded room. He instinctively moved to follow, but something told him that he should just leave her be for one evening. That a little space to breathe would be best for her... he wouldn't mind that himself. He was almost used to it, but his family had put Dawn under enough strain without even lifting a finger against her. Sirius shot his mother a quick glare, wondering exactly what the woman had in store for him and Dawn before the weekend was out.

He waited an hour after Dawn left, though when Sirius left the Great Hall the festivities were still in full swing. He kept his wand out and his senses sharp, half expecting an attack from his own family, but Sirius made it to the quiet Gryffindor tower without incident. He pushed open the door to the dorm of the Marauders and paused. Remus, James and Peter he knew were still in the Great Hall, but there was a presence already in the dark room. Specifically, in his bed.

Silently, Sirius crept over and looked down at Dawn, a smile creasing his features despite himself as he watched her sleeping. He hadn't expected to see her tonight. Eyes closed and still, she lay quiet and peacefully, the straps of her camisole peeking out from beneath his blankets on her smooth shoulders. The blue dress robes she'd discarded were folded neatly on his bedside table, he had no idea why but Sirius loved the way she did that. He shrugged out of his own robes, not bothering to pick them up off the floor, and was working on his belt buckle when Dawn's eyes fluttered open.

"Didn't mean to wake you," Sirius murmured apologetically as she sat up, blanket shrouding her, her knees pulled up to her chest.

Dawn watched him a moment. "You're not mad at me, are you?" she asked. "For running out and not being there for you like I said I would, I mean. I'm sorry. I freaked."

Sirius shook his head, in truth a little relieved that she had no hard feelings towards him for what she was enduring because of who he was. "You stood up for me, Dawn. Nobody but James has ever really done that before. No I'm not mad, but I was worried about you. You were pretty upset back there," Sirius returned, stepping out of his pants and sitting just a bit behind Dawn on his bed.

Dawn suddenly felt very underdressed in only her camisole and underpants, and Sirius in just his boxers, not troubling himself with the shirt he usually slept in. This hadn't occurred to her when she'd come tearing in an hour ago, she'd only wanted to sleep in here so she'd feel a little safer when she woke up with Sirius in the morning. Trading her robes for bed covers had seemed like a good idea at the time, but she hadn't counted on actually waking when Sirius came in. Her hair was suddenly swept aside, Dawn drew in a sharp breath when she felt the warm lips that started moving against the back of her neck. Sirius shifted closer to her back, his arm wrapped around Dawn's waist as her head tilted to the side, increasing his access to her skin. He started to kiss his way along her shoulder until he came to the strap of her camisole and brought his free hand up to brush it aside.

"Sirius!" Dawn gasped out the slight reprimand when she felt the strap slide off her shoulder. Her own hand flew up to hold her camisole in place and protect her modesty.

Obediently, Sirius left her sparse clothing alone and laid down, drawing Dawn into his chest. Dawn stretched up for one long, deep kiss, then settled back against him. She was asleep in minutes, leaving Sirius awake and almost growling in frustration.

* * *

**A/N:** Don't worry, things are about to get _very _interesting for this unhappy family! 

Anoron


	14. Choosing My Confessions

Title: The Key To Marauding

Author: Anoron

Chapter: Choosing My Confessions

Disclaimer: All work taken from Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, and all that from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is owned by Joss Whedon. The Hamlet line is by William Shakespeare and 'Choosing My Confessions', as well as the lyrics preceding this chapter are taken directly from Losing My Religion by REM. Ok?

Rating: R/18

A/N: Losing My Religion, part 2... BTW- thanks reviewers, don't forget to check out my journal, address located on my home page!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

**Choosing My Confessions**

_Every whisper_

_Of every waking hour, I'm_

_Choosing my confessions_

_Trying to keep an eye on you_

_Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool _

_(a fool)_

_Oh no I've said too much_

_I set it up_

_Consider this..._

_Consider this the hint of the century_

_Consider this the slip_

_That brought me to my knees, failed_

_What if all these fantasies_

_Come flailing around_

_Now I've said too much_

_I thought that I heard you laughing_

_I thought that I heard you sing_

_I think I thought I saw you try_

_But that was just a dream_

_That was just a dream_

_Try, cry, why try?_

_That was just a dream, just a dream_

_Just a dream, a dream..._

* * *

"A galleon says McGonagall's gonna be breaking up the Black family brawl in the Transfiguration room," Remus said sardonically to James and Peter as they dressed on Sunday morning.

"Nah, I bet Padfoot and his mum try to throw each other from the Divination tower window," James replied. "Wormtail?"

"Astronomy tower," Peter waged out of the corner of his mouth. He looked around the dorm. "Where is Padfoot, anyway?"

"He's walking Dawn to the Library. I think he's worried that his family will attack her if they get her alone," James explained.

"I'd be watching out for Malfoy, too," Remus muttered, but before any of his friends could be sure of what they'd heard he'd raised his voice and changed the topic. "Come on then. We'll meet him in the Great Hall."

The three Marauders met their fourth at the Gryffindor table and joined their parents for breakfast. Mrs Potter immediately began plying them with questions the moment she noticed the female Marauder was absent.

"Good morning, dears. Where's Dawn?"

"She's at the Library, Mrs P," Sirius answered. "She, er, didn't see the point in sticking around for the parent-teacher interviews this morning."

"I see," said James' mother, with no small amount of sympathy. "was she feeling better at least this morning? She looked so upset when she ran off last night, I really wish I'd thought to check on her."

For a moment, Sirius couldn't help but stop and consider what sweet, lovely Mrs Potter would think if she had gone to check on Dawn, and found the girl in question quite comfortably set up in his bed in only her underthings. "She's feeling better," he assured the woman. "She and I had a bit of a talk last night."

Both Remus and James had scoffed at the use of the word 'talked', though any commentary they wished to make was restrained by the quick glare Sirius shot over the toast he was buttering.

"And you, dear?" Mrs Potter persisted. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," he lied. How he could be fine when he was only half way through what was shaping up to be the worst weekend of his entire life? And now he had to spend the entire morning with his visibly irritated mother and suck-up of a little brother. Sirius bit back a groan, wishing it was Monday afternoon and the torturous visit was drawing to a close. Much as he liked his friends' parents, this was one weekend he would not be sorry to see the back of.

He was startled by Mr Potter clapping him lightly on the back. "Just try not to say too much," the older man muttered the advice in his ear, his voice low to ensure privacy. "It must be hard, but try to keep your head, and don't take anything your mother says to heart. You're a fine boy, Sirius, remember that."

Sirius just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Dumbledore stood to make some announcements as breakfast drew to a close. "Good morning all. Before we begin another wonderful day together, I'd like your attention for just a few moments. As all you students are aware, your parents were given the opportunity to raise any concerns and suggestions with the staff and I yesterday afternoon, while you were enjoying the chance for relaxation... or recreation," Dumbledore added almost casually, with a knowing smile at a very specific group of Gryffindors. The Marauders grinned broadly while their parents just shook their heads, and down the table Isabel giggled at Lily rolling her eyes.

"It is my duty to inform you that due to the rising threat of Voldemort," –there were several gasps and flinches around the Hall- "rules regarding visits to Hogsmeade village have changed. While Hogsmeade weekends will run as scheduled through the day, it has been decided that Hogsmeade nights will no longer occur. This means every student is to be back at the castle by six o'clock, or they may be suspended from further visits to the village."

A collective groan echoed throughout the Hall, though the Headmaster took the displeasure of his students in stride. "That is my final word on the subject. Now, if any of you are unsure of times for your parent-teacher meetings, there is a schedule posted to the notice board in the Entrance Hall. That is all."

"Good luck mate," Remus murmured as Sirius separated himself from his friends. They watched his back straighten and his shoulders set as he stalked off to join his mother and Regulus, before Remus turned to his own parents. "Where are we first?"

His mother scanned a leaf of parchment. "Potions."

"Oh good," Remus replied pleasantly. "I'm curious to know what the Professor who spends nearly every lesson in the potions store thinks of my work."

As it turned out for Remus, there wasn't a single Professor who had a bad thing to say of him or his work. He appreciated the praise and recognition, but with each new glowing report, accompanied by the proud beams of his parents, the werewolf felt the colour in his cheeks deepen just a little more.

By the time his family reached his Arithmancy class, Remus' face was brick red. One look at Lily's blushing face, with just a tiny gleam of pride and satisfaction in those emerald eyes as the Evans family stepped in behind the Lupins told Remus she'd been through much the same routine as he. The Gryffindor Prefects sidled over to one another as the Professor began gushing over them to their parents.

"I didn't think being an 'O' student would be so painful," Lily whispered confidentially.

"If I have to listen to one more 'Remus is a talented student, a delight to teach and a wonderful choice for Prefect', I may just vomit. Or skive off a few classes," he muttered.

Lily snorted. "Trade that 'Remus' for a 'Lily' and I know just what you mean. Without the skiving, of course."

"Of course."

It was then that the pair noticed the five adults in the room looking at them with great pride and hastily mustered their politest, most innocent smiles. When the spotlight was lifted from them, Lily shot a look at Remus and sighed.

"I wonder how the others are holding up."

James was trying to keep a straight face, he really was. But with the extensive list of his crimes and misdemeanours laid out by his Professors, it was all just too funny. At least he thought so, though his parents hadn't been quite so amused. But James was reliving all his greatest pranks and moments of the year thus far through his teachers' reports and had narrowed his 'favourites' list down to a top three.

Now he just needed to decide what his greatest in-class achievement was- Charming all the books in Flitwick's class to serenade Lily Evans for an entire lesson (except for that one book that kept bursting into flame), creating a natural swamp habitat for Hinkypunks in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, or engorging Professor Kettleburn's entire Flobberworm collection to see how big they'd get before exploding. Even his father had had trouble concealing his grin when Professor Kettleburn mentioned that last offence of James'.

He stepped into the Divination tower behind his parents, half expecting Damus to present them with the bill for the crystal ball he'd shattered. Instead, the Professor gave them a pitying look and ushered James' parents into two of her most comfortable seats. James rolled his eyes and began searching for another crystal ball to play with. Anything but the untimely early death spiel. He was just glad he'd warned his mother beforehand, he didn't want her to be upset by the news that according to the Divination Professor, her only child wasn't going to see out his twenties. Damus stared silently at the Potters, as if working up the courage to speak.

"Well what is it, Professor? Whatever James has done, you can't possibly shock us," Mr Potter joked.

The Divination teacher smiled feebly. "Well... young Mr Potter is no Seer, but his class work is usually satisfactory. His Dream Journal, however, contains some disturbing omens..."

"Here it comes," James muttered.

Mrs Potter glazed blandly at the black-clad woman. "Oh? And just what disturbing omens has my son been recording in his little Journal?"

Professor Damus handed Mrs Potter James' thin, sparsely used Dream Journal and she began flipping through the leaves of parchment. "These are mostly dreams about food!" she exclaimed. "Merlin, I was expecting the Grim or some such awful vision!"

A shuddering gasp escaped the Professor, her eyes filled with tears. "Cheeseburgers, the sign of an early death. I'm sorry to be the bearer of such ill news... but I am a Seer, I consider my burden a responsibility to warn those affected of the unhappy future awaiting them," she sighed.

Mr Potter exchanged a glance with James. James shrugged. "How about Dawn? How is she in your class?" Mr Potter said loudly, changing the subject.

Damus seemed to revive instantly. "Dawn is a talent, she shows real potential as a Seer."

Mrs Potter smiled in a sickeningly sweet fashion. "And is her life also to be marked by some great misfortune?"

James sniggered. That last remark of his mother's wasn't exactly helping him in his quest to keep a straight face. His sniggers threatened to become out-and-out laughter when the Professor heaved another troubled sigh. "Miss Summers is indeed stained by death, though I find she bears it cheerfully enough, for the most part. Why so concerned with the girl?" Damus asked curiously.

"Only fair that someone should take an interest," Mrs Potter said softly. She flipped James' Dream Journal closed and dropped it on the table. "Excuse us, we're due in Minerva McGonagall's room in a moment."

The Potters made their way down to the Transfiguration room, passing Sirius and his family, who were just leaving their meeting with Professor McGonagall. Sirius was staring determinedly at his shoes as he walked along behind his mother and Regulus, James swatted his back supportively as the boys crossed paths.

"McGonagall says your discipline needs improving, boy," Mrs Black said shortly as the trio headed towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts room. Regulus was smirking. His disciplinary record was near-prefect.

"She also said my Transfiguration work itself is flawless," Sirius pointed out. Regulus' smirk dimmed.

"Yes," his mother interrupted grudgingly. "Though if I get one hint that... that _girl _you insist on seeing is jeopardising your OWLs..."

Sirius looked up, scowling. A moment later, he schooled his features to a calmer state, masking the rage bubbling up within him.

"You're just carrying on with her to spite me, aren't you?" Mrs Black snarled.

"No. I also like the way she looks when she's sleeping in nothing but one of my old shirts and her knickers," Sirius returned blandly. He had to fight from keeping the massive grin that was threatening to break out over his face at bay as his mother and brother stopped short, their draws dropping open at the implications of Sirius' words. Let them think what they would.

"Boy, you take pleasure in bringing shame upon our noble name! What my fathers would say if they could see what you're doing to us all!"

The rest of the morning was even less pleasant than usual for Sirius, he concentrated on trying to follow Mr Potter's advice and tune his mother's rants and snarls out. He just thanked Merlin that Potions so often went unsupervised that the Professor couldn't report all the times he and Bellatrix had locked horns in that dungeon classroom. It also didn't hurt that his cousin's pureblood pride wouldn't allow her to admit he'd caught her off guard with that 'scourgify', either.

Sirius was grinding his teeth in anger as he listened to all of young Professor Sinistra's praise for his outstanding knowledge in Astronomy falling on his mother's deaf ears. For a moment he toyed with the idea of trying to shove his mother off the Astronomy tower, but dismissed the notion almost as quickly as it had come. Wasn't his style. There were witnesses. When the meeting with the Astronomy Professor, the last of a very long morning, drew to a close, Sirius took to the stairs without so much as a farewell to his family. He jogged straight to the Library, hoping Dawn was at least near where he'd left her.

He made his way to the table she'd been sitting at. Her bag and all her belongings were scattered around the place, but there was no trace of Dawn herself. Sirius muttered a swear word, his eyes darting around the nearby shelves of books but finding no other signs of life.

"They couldn't have... They wouldn't dare..." he told himself, though his heart had begun to race with all the wild, equally troubling possibilities of the fate that could have befallen Dawn. Without even thinking about it, Sirius drew his wand from his back pocket and took a few steps forward. If someone had got their dirty hands on Dawn, hopefully they'd left a trail so he could track the bastards down and hurt them. A lot.

Sirius was so intent on the path before him that he completely missed the soft footfalls stalking him from behind, gaining on him with each step. A hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder, and Sirius jumped about a foot into the air in shock. With a growl, he whipped about and roughly seized his attacker... whose oceanic eyes grew wide in alarm.

"Dawn! You startled me," Sirius said lamely, releasing his grip on Dawn's arm.

She arched an eyebrow, fighting off a pout as she rubbed some feeling back into the arm. "Paranoid much?"

He dropped his gaze to the floor, abashed. "Sorry. I thought you were somebody else." After a moment's pause, he glanced up hopefully. "Want me to kiss it better?"

With a roll of her eyes, belied by the little smile, Dawn held out her arm and waited patiently for Sirius to be satisfied his lips had completely repaired any damage he might've done. Finally, he looked up and gave her his puppy-eyes look, the one look he knew very well she couldn't resist. But then who could? "All better?"

Dawn smiled. "All better."

* * *

"Well, that was officially a nightmare," Remus announced as the four boys plus Dawn lounged around the Marauders' dorm after lunch.

"You're telling me," Sirius muttered darkly and Dawn gave him a swift hug.

James shrugged. "I actually had fun. Remember that old Flobberworm collection of Kettleburn's?" Everybody sniggered at the memory of all the students picking clumps of Flobberworm goo out of their hair.

"I didn't think it was so bad," Peter piped up. "At least my progress report wasn't half as bad as I thought it'd be."

"Progress report?" Dawn frowned.

Peter tossed a roll of parchment in Dawn's direction. It went too high, sailing right over her head, but Sirius reached up and caught it to hand to Dawn. She unrolled it and began to read.

_Peter has been making excellent progress in Transfiguration_

_Peter has been making excellent progress in Defence Against the Dark Arts_

_Peter has been making excellent progress in Potions_

_Peter has been making excellent progress in Care of Magical Creatures_

_Peter has been making excellent progress in Ancient Runes_

_Peter has been making excellent progress in Charms_

_Peter has been making excellent progress in Astronomy _

Dawn read the seven almost identical reports with raised eyebrows. It was not unlike a student writing 'have a nice summer' in someone's yearbook- this was the teachers' kiss of death, what they wrote when they had absolutely nothing to say.

Dawn forced a smile. "That's awesome, Peter," she told him as she tossed the parchment back, her little white lie justified by the pleased grin that broke out on the chubby face.

"All the OWL and NEWT students got progress reports," James announced, unearthing two rolls of parchment and handing one to Dawn. "Including you."

Remus grimaced. "I think I'll burn mine before Mum tries to frame it."

"I'm keeping mine for documentary evidence of all those pranks we've pulled so far," James grinned.

"I'm keeping mine just to spite my dear old Mum. She'd probably want to use it for toilet paper," Sirius contributed, leaning in to read Dawn's report over her shoulder. "Don't show that to Moony's Mum," he advised when they'd both finished reading it. "She'll probably want to frame it, too."

"Shut up, Padfoot," Remus grumbled.

"Oi- it's the last night with all the parents tonight," James interrupted before any arguments or wrestling matches could ensue. "With them all leaving just after lunch tomorrow, tonight's dinner is their last major meal here... don't you think we should make it memorable for them?" he grinned evilly.

"A prank, Prongs?" Sirius asked, immediately intrigued.

James only smirked.

After an afternoon of hard work and planning, the five wandered into the Great Hall for dinner with the rest of the students and parents looking completely innocent. The meal got underway seemingly without a hitch, Dawn chattered easily away with Mrs Lupin and Mrs Pettigrew, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Remus kept discretely looking at his watch. Finally, the werewolf gave a slight cough, and the others knew it was showtime.

At first nobody noticed anything out of the ordinary. Dawn was dying to look, but James caught her eye and shook his head slightly. If she drew attention to the water slowly trickling into the Great Hall now, she'd as good as give them away. Remus had found a particular silencing charm that kept anyone from focusing on the steady trickling noises, they were all almost ankle-deep in water before people started to notice they were getting wet. There was some panicked yelling out, which Sirius and James joined in just for fun.

"The castle's flooding!"

Dumbledore rose to his feet. "If everybody would please remain calm!" the Headmaster commanded as water began lapping at people's calves.

Instantly, the entire Hall settled and the Marauders all set about pretending not to notice the multitude of accusing stares trained on them. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick all set about finding the mysterious 'leak' the Hall had sprung, just near the front doors. It was a fairly strong spell they'd cast, so it took a few minutes for Dumbledore, who looked truly delighted at the challenge, to figure out how to counteract the damage.

Mr Potter was finding it incredibly difficult to contain his grin. "Well I'm glad that's been taken care of."

Dawn had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud. As soon as one leak was closed, another would spring open in its stead. There were almost thirty of them around the place, in fact, and the Professors were barely half way through by the time the water had risen level with the benches they were supposed to be seated on. Most people had long ago given up on sitting and were now standing on the benches, some looking thoroughly annoyed and some, like the Headmaster, eagerly anticipating where the next little stream would spring from. A couple of water fights had broken out, Remus glanced at his watch and stopped splashing Isabel just long enough to cough twice.

The magical barrier James had placed on the doors prevented all the water from flooding out when they suddenly swung open of their own accord. Dozens of ducks, all decorated in fluoro pink and yellow feathers for the occasion, swooped into the Great Hall and began gliding serenely around the makeshift lake. With a flourish, Dumbledore at last sealed the final leak and the water level evened out at table-height. Most of the plates were floating around like little life-rafts, the ducks were pecking happily at the remains of peoples' dinner while the students and parents who chose not to go for an impromptu swim stood on the House tables and watched.

"Ah," Dumbledore observed. "I think that's done it."

Sensing their indoor adventure was going to be short-lived, the ducks all took to the air, their garishly coloured wings spreading as they flew from the Great Hall just as suddenly as they'd arrived. Both Dumbledore and Flitwick took up their posts on either side of the doors to administer drying charms as people exited.

"Potter! Black! Lupin! Pettigrew! Summers!" an angry voice screamed, and all of a sudden Professor McGonagall was bearing down on them, looking murderous.

The guilty party quickly adopted their most innocent stares, straining to hold them under the glare of the stern Professor, who refused to give the luxury of looking away. Peter broke first. He let out the tiniest squeak of a giggle, but it was enough to set Dawn off, too. In a matter of seconds the other three boys had succumbed to their amusement, James held his hands up in surrender.

"Right, Professor. Well done. You caught us good and proper."

"Potter, right now I'd like to _throttle_ you good and proper," McGonagall thundered. "Five points each from Gryffindor for your immature behaviour, and the five of you will not leave this Hall until it has been perfectly cleaned!"

The teens all shared a self-satisfied look and whipped out their wands. Considering they'd planned ahead, and Sirius had taught them a spell which would erase all their damage in an instant (even the duck droppings, Dawn had to be assured), they'd got off pretty lightly. Or so they thought.

"The muggle way," McGonagall snapped, confiscating all their wands. Five jaws dropped indignantly.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Sirius demanded. The Professor waved her wand, conjuring a handful of mops and buckets and they all groaned.

"But that'll take all night," Peter whined.

"Perhaps you should've considered that before you flooded out the evening meal!"

* * *

"So what time did those three sneak down and cheat you all out of detention last night?" Mrs Potter asked Dawn, nodding over the table at the senior Messrs Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew.

"About one thirty this morning," Dawn admitted, stifling a yawn as she sat down for the final lunch with her friends' parents. "I fell asleep just now in Divination. Stupid incense fumes," she added sheepishly.

Remus clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Couldn't even wait for History of Magic like the rest of us."

"I'm passing it off as research for my Dream Journal," Dawn shrugged easily. Sirius' hand was resting lightly on her back, tracing up and down her spine every now and then, Dawn all of a sudden felt it tense against the back of her robes and looked up. Regulus was standing over them, staring coolly down his nose at the Gryffindors.

"Mother wants a word," he said shortly. Without even waiting to see if his older brother was following, Regulus turned and walked straight out the doors of the Great Hall.

Sirius sighed. Not particularly hurrying himself, he drained the rest of his pumpkin juice and helped himself to a generous bite of Dawn's sandwich, some weird combination of peanut butter, ham, and Merlin only knew what all that other stuff was, before slowly standing up. Mr Potter made to rise as well, but Sirius shook his head slightly.

"I'll be back," he said, wandering out to the Entrance Hall to see just what his mother wanted to yell at him about this time.

It felt strangely like a standoff Sirius had once seen in an old muggle Western, with some muggle actor named John Wayne, as he crossed the floor with measured steps until he met with his mother in the middle of the Entrance Hall.

"Mother," he greeted tensely.

"Sirius," she returned, her tone no more relaxed than his. By her side stood Regulus, a smirk of anticipation marked on his pale face. Mrs Black locked gazes with her eldest son and Sirius accepted the challenge, the staring contest of identical eyes lasting for several seconds. Finally, Mrs Black arched an eyebrow and got down to business.

"I'm only going to tell you this once, so listen carefully. You're not to continue to see that disgusting girl, you will break off all contact with her immediately."

Sirius almost laughed. _This_ was her great plan- to order him to break up with Dawn? She didn't actually expect that to work, did she? "Er, mother? I'm only going to tell you this once, so listen carefully," he mimicked, staring the woman down. "Voldemort himself couldn't convince me to break up with Dawn. And you've certainly got no chance in hell of making me do it, so don't even try."

Mrs Black's eyes narrowed. "I'll not tolerate this shame to my noble family, boy," she hissed. "Are you really willing to risk the inheritance of our family estate over a ridiculous case of puppy love with some dirty little American Mudblood? If I didn't disown you over this, you can be sure your father wouldn't hesitate. Consider carefully, boy," she warned.

With a deep breath to steady his rage at the insults to both Dawn and their relationship, and taking a moment to push away the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Sirius carefully composed his face into a smirk.

"Well she is a great kisser," he deadpanned, then braced himself for the storm he knew he'd just brought upon himself.

Dawn, meanwhile, picked absently at the remains of her peanut butter, ham, gherkin and asparagus sandwich, waiting nervously for Sirius to return. Lunch passed them by almost without her realising it, and suddenly Dumbledore was telling the students to farewell their parents and go to class. The parents would be leaving in carriages when the students had cleared the Great Hall. The Lupins and Pettigrews smiled and exchanged polite goodbyes with her, Mr Potter kissed her forehead warmly before his wife drew Dawn into a motherly embrace.

"It's been a pleasure, dear," she whispered. "If you need anything at all, you owl me right away. You promise?"

Dawn nodded, smiling. "I promise Mrs Potter. Thank you."

The four teens went to move off to class, but Mr Potter held James back. "A word, son?"

James waved his friends off. "You guys go on. I'll catch up."

Remus, Dawn and Peter left the Great Hall, but once they stepped into the Entrance Hall, they found themselves in the thick of a crowd of students, all jostling to get a clear view of some spectacle in the middle of the Hall. Dawn shot a quick worried glance to Remus and Peter as they recognised the unmistakeable screeching of Mrs Black. Remus' face was grim as the three of them pushed through to the front row of spectators of the domestic dispute.

"Why can't you just be more like Regulus? I have half a mind to blast you right off the family tapestry!"

Sirius glared up at his mother, on the verge of opening his mouth and daring her to, but he remained stonily silent while Mrs Black ranted on and on.

"You're a disgrace! I'm ashamed of you, boy, no respect for your own family at all! Ungrateful blood-traitor! You'll be nothing! You are nothing!"

Dawn broke. Terrified as she was of Mrs Black, she couldn't take the evil woman's words a second longer. Sirius was shaking. Most only saw the anger in the young Gryffindor, but Dawn, like his fellow Marauders, knew him too well to miss the obvious hurt emanating from Sirius. If this nonsense went on any longer, Sirius would start to believe his mother despite everything. And Dawn would sooner die then let that happen. She strode forwards and took Sirius' face in her hands, forcing his focus from his mother and her hurtful words to her and her loving support.

"She's wrong. Don't listen, it's not true," Dawn whispered feverishly, willing him to believe her. "Just don't listen baby."

Sirius' eyes widened a little in shock. She'd just called him a pet name out here, in public, surrounded by scores of onlookers. Merlin, she usually couldn't even say 'Padfoot' without getting all giggly. Dawn had stretched up to press her forehead to his and Sirius steadied her with his hands on her hips.

"You'll never be nothing, you're already everything to me," she breathed and brushed her lips against his.

There was nothing for it but to kiss her back. So Sirius did. He wrapped his arms tighter around Dawn, drawing comfort from her gentle, loving kisses. Remus and Peter exchanged glances, eyebrows raised, waiting patiently for the now-purple-with-rage Mrs Black to explode. They did not have to wait long.

"Ungrateful filth! Shameful scum!" she shrieked. "If you've really sunk so low you deserve your Mudblood bitch!"

Sirius rounded on his mother, for the first time looking angry enough to strike her. "What did you just call her, you old hag?" he growled.

"Watch it, blood-traitor," Regulus spat, joining in the chaos for the first time. Until that point he had been content just to stand off to one side and watch the show.

"Shut up, little brother. Go back to the dungeon you slithered out of."

"You watch your mouth, boy!"

"My name isn't 'boy', it's Sirius," Sirius snapped. "Y'know, as in the Dog star... Canis Major... ringing any bells here? Think my own mother would at least remember my name!"

"What's going on here? Is everything ok, Sirius?" a new voice broke through, its owner coming to stand beside the quaking boy and his deathly pale girlfriend. Mr Potter placed a calming hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"Everything's just fine," Sirius seethed, his sarcastic voice muffled slightly through his clenched teeth.

"Dawn?" Mr Potter turned to the girl, who could barely manage a dumb nod, scarcely able to believe the scene that was playing out right before her eyes. Even through her disbelief, Dawn still had the instinct to take a hold of Sirius' hand and squeeze it supportively. Sirius calmed the tiniest bit under Dawn's influence, though his eyes still flashed dangerously.

"You kids sure? What's all this fuss about?" Mr Potter persisted.

"Mind your own business, Potter," Mrs Black snapped. "This does not concern you."

Mr Potter glared at Mrs Black, but remained calm and collected. "Actually, both Sirius and Dawn concern me quite a bit," he informed the woman before him.

"Just like all Potters with your meddling ways, forcing your beliefs onto other Wizards' children, corrupting them. Associating with Mudblood trash," Mrs Black sneered, gesturing towards Sirius and Dawn in turn.

"Don't call her that!" Sirius and James roared together. Mr Potter shot his son a look that plainly told him to keep his mouth shut and stay out of it.

"I think we should all just calm down," he suggested pointedly, a steely edge creeping into his voice.

"I agree," a raspier, but infinitely more forceful voice chimed in. Dumbledore stepped out of the ring of spectators and into the fray. "Everybody will please proceed to their next lesson," he ordered, his tone leaving about as much room for argument as McGonagall's usually did.

Dawn and Sirius shared a look and tried to scuttle off with the rest of the students, but Dumbledore halted them with a quick word. "Except for you two. Sirius, Dawn, I'd like a word with you both. Please wait for me in my office."

With a sympathetic look from their friends, who were all departing for History of Magic in the opposite direction, Sirius and Dawn headed slowly for the Headmaster's office. Sirius muttered the password and the gargoyles sprang aside. He pulled Dawn onto the moving staircase and they made their way into Dumbledore's office.

Restlessly, still full of pent up anger, Sirius paced up and down the round room, fiddling with the multitude of gadgets the Headmaster had on display. Dawn winced inwardly, just waiting for her hot-tempered boyfriend to succeed in breaking something, but did not dare nag at him. He had enough to deal with at the moment without adding a nagging girlfriend into the mix, and Dawn figured her little performance had done enough damage to his home life for one day. She squeezed her eyes closed, straining to remember how her day had got so crazy, wondering if she really was in trouble with Dumbledore, if she'd gone and got Sirius in trouble along with her, wanting to ask him if he was blaming her as well...

A warm weight fell on Dawn's knee. She jumped, eyes springing open in surprise. A moment later, the startled expression was replaced with a smile.

"Hey Fawkes," she trailed her fingers over the silky feathers. The red and gold phoenix began to trill out a gentle tune, Dawn felt a great weight lifting off her almost immediately, and on the other side of the office Sirius' agitated movements calmed. With a sigh, he came over and sat beside Dawn, looping one arm around her shoulders and allowing his free hand to lightly pet the phoenix.

That was how Dumbledore found them several minutes later when, having at last seen the parents off (and vowing never to invite them back again as long as a Black was in his school), he stepped back into his office. Fawkes finished his little song and fluttered back to his perch, the two teens on the couch straightened and tried not to look too comfortable together.

"Are you both all right?"

Dawn blinked at the concerned tones in the old Wizard's voice. Ok, so they weren't in trouble then. Good sign. She nodded slightly. "I guess."

"Sirius?"

He shrugged moodily. "Five by five."

"I beg your pardon, Mr Black?" Dumbledore returned, looking a little confused and thoroughly amused by the statement. "What does that mean?"

He shrugged again, though this time it was a lighter gesture. "Don't know, Professor. But the Kitten seems to like using it."

Dawn rolled her eyes and bit back the giggle she felt trying to bubble out of her. She couldn't be quite sure, but it looked as if Dumbledore had tossed her a swift wink. Then he settled in a chair before them, looking grave.

"It is hard for one to find a positive aspect in any kind of conflict, especially when we find ourselves standing against those so close to the heart and home," he lectured gently, his blue gaze boring into Sirius'. "And it is often difficult to know when the ones we are expected to follow lead down the wrong paths. I am proud, Sirius, to see you've distinguished between when and when not to blindly follow old traditions, and it heartens me to know that you do not walk alone," he concluded, extending his look of pride now to include Dawn. Sirius nodded in understanding, fighting to swallow the lump in his throat, and Dawn offered a bittersweet little smile.

"Now, I think you are both long overdue for your History of Magic lesson. And remember: my door is always open," Dumbledore reminded them pointedly.

"Don't you mean your gargoyles are always moveable?" Sirius pointed out, accepting the note to excuse their tardiness. Dawn and Sirius headed out the door together.

"Oh Miss Summers?" Dumbledore called, and Dawn paused in the doorway to cast a questioning glance back at the Professor. His face was completely straight, but his eyes had never been more alight with mirth. "Do try to keep the public displays of affection to a minimum."

Dawn's whole face flushed dark red, her mouth opened as if she knew she needed to respond but had absolutely no idea what to say. Dumbledore's objective had been fulfilled though; Sirius was grinning as he left the Headmaster's office.

* * *

Professor Binns didn't even notice Dawn and Sirius' late arrival in his class, nor did any of the sleeping students stir. Completely unnoticed, the pair slid into the last two vacant seats on either side of James and took out quills and parchment. That was about as far as Dawn got to doing any actual work in History of Magic, she laid her head on her hand and stared absently out the window. The weather outside mirrored her mood exactly- it was bleak and grey. Remus had promised the other day that the first snow would fall soon. Dawn was a little heartened by the thought. She'd only ever seen snow once before... a few Christmases ago.

Feeling a little better, Dawn shifted to glance around James, who had a tiny sliver of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth, to chance a look at Sirius. He was diligently taking notes from the background noise that was Professor Binns' monotone. Dawn bit her lip, fretting. A Marauder paying attention in History of Magic was one of the signs of the apocalypse. It was number four on the informal list they'd drawn up the other day, in fact.

Sirius didn't even seem to realise he was being studied. His gaze remained lowered, fixed on the parchment, his shoulders were slumped and his expression heartbreakingly forlorn. Dawn watched him for ten full minutes, racking her brains to come up with a way to take that loneliness away from Sirius... something to make him feel a little loved. Finally, inspiration struck and Dawn snatched up her quill to scribble out a short message.

"_Scriptio displacus._"

Sirius' quill paused mid-air, a stray drop of ink splattering down onto the parchment. Words had just appeared in the middle of his page, in Dawn's swirly, girlish handwriting.

_'Doubt thou the stars are fire._

_Doubt that the sun doth move._

_Doubt truth to be a liar._

_But never doubt I love.'_

He had to read it twice through to be sure he'd understood, then a genuine smile broke out on Sirius' face. Who cared if his family were a bunch of prejudiced gits who, by all indications, could not bring themselves to love him anymore? He had Dawn to love him, and she was far more extraordinary than anything the noble house of Black had to offer. He sent Dawn a look of deepest gratitude, she simply smiled and nodded her understanding. Sirius scribbled a note of his own.

_'That's really beautiful, Kitten. Did you make it up?'_

_'No- just borrowed it from Shakespeare. Glad you liked.'_

_'Shakespeare? That muggle writer? I think I quite like that guy, then.'_

_'Me too. And just so you know- you know all those times I told you not to diss your Mom?'_

Sirius cocked an eyebrow. _'Yeah...?_

Dawn's look was laced with unamused irony. '_I take it all back. I was wrong, you were right. She IS an evil cow.'_

Sirius laughed out loud. James snorted and jerked awake. He glared at Sirius for daring to disturb him, but Sirius was so busy grinning wolfishly at Dawn, who was smiling back like the lost little lamb being willingly led to the slaughter. Shrugging, James laid his head on his table, not realising he was falling back to sleep in a puddle of his own drool. With a little grin, Sirius continued the conversation in notes.

_'Did you realise that back there in front of everyone, you called me baby?'_

He quite enjoyed watching the smattering of colour washing over her face as Dawn sputtered over the sentence she'd just read. A minute later, her reply appeared to Sirius.

_'Oops. Just kinda slipped out I guess. Sorry.'_

_'Don't be sorry, Kitten. It was sorta cute. Besides, "Sirius Black, you gorgeous, sexy Love-God, you" is a bit of a mouthful.'_

Dawn snorted with laughter. _'You're so weird.'_

'_So you don't think you'll be adopting that one, then?'_ Sirius pouted.

Dawn countered his pout with a deadpan stare. _'No. No I don't.' _

The pout deepened. _'What if I'm a very good boy?'_

The deadpan stare broke, Dawn let out a giggle that almost woke James again.

_'We'll see.'_

* * *

End chapter... now where do we go from here?


	15. Honestly Ok

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Disclaimer:** JK Rowling owns all things Harry Potter, Joss Whedon owns all things Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dido owns Honestly Ok, Billy Joel owns She's Always a Woman and Guns N' Roses owns Patience. None of those people is me... unfortunately.

**A.N.** This chapter has two 'backing tracks' of sorts, because I just thought that certain lines in them were really fitting of the whole Dawn/Sirius riff this chapter. And be warned, it is painfully obvious here that Sirius is, in fact, a teenage boy with teenage boy impulses.

Ok, have decided to skip the Greatest Journal thing since TTH now has the ability to post author's comments directly after reviews. So I'll be back to answering any reviews right here before each chapter!

**Sonofgloin: **Now I wish I had put blue ducks in for you... although they tend to remind me of those toilet cleaner thingies... XX

**Eleclya111**: Yeah I know I left Dawnie out of the loop a little last chapter... I think I wanted to prove to myself that I could carry on scenes with the other characters for more than 2 pages without her LOL. Sometimes I forget that the boys all have to have their lives going on as well, so part of Choosing My Confessions was just to remind me of that. I doubt she'll disappear so much in future.

**Rogue-Angel82**: I'm glad you like my Sirius, I do spend a lot of time working on characterisation still, and it's nice to know it pays off when my favourite people (you reviewers) comment on it. As for the Ilfirin Meleth trilogy... pencil me in for a yes I do plan to continue it one day, but for now it is on a hiatus while my more Sirius muse runs wild. Have got a couple of early chapters done for IM3: A New Dawn and a tentative storyline worked through... just email me if you'd like them sent for spoilers, I'm always happy to share.

**Lucky Shamrock:** If you liked the Lucius reference... stay tuned for this chapter and the one following because he's about to have a good solid crack at making himself the official bad guy on the scene. I think this chapter is even just a little longer... hopefully enough to keep you satisfied until the next fix.

**SiriusEarendil:** Thanks for your review & support. In answer to your question, yes I do plan on having a sequel and it will be set during the time of Order of the Phoenix, and as far as Sirius' future goes now that Dawn's in and rocking the Marauders' world... wait and see. If you hate waiting, email me for a few light spoiler scenes I've already knocked out.

**Phoenix83ad:** Thanks for the awesome review, and thanks also for your thumbs up on the Black showdown... I sort of agonised as I was posting over whether it was a huge anti-climax or not. And yeah, I did very heavily base my characterization of the vile Mrs B on a slightly more sane version of that portrait! Maybe Dawn will help James with Lily... if she can. That boy needs a lot more help with Lily than one girl can give, in my opinion, the poor guy. As for Voldemort, well funny you should mention that guy... read on, read on! (Please?)

**Zombiegurl98:** Sorry- I updated as soon as I possibly could. Damn assignments & work always getting in the way!!

**Beachgurl2005:** Thank you for all the encouraging words, as an occasionally aspiring writer I really appreciate them. And I'm also glad you liked 'Kissing It Better', there may or may not be a few more following one-shots in the not-too-distant future, depending on how far and explicit I want to take Dawn and Sirius' relationship within the actual plot. I'm still working out the kinks of that one. Any input? I really do love feedback (being a review-whore and all).

Thanks for all the support and patience and encouragement, on with the chapter (finally!)

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**Backing tracks:**

_She's Always A Woman_

She can kill with a smile

She can wound with her eyes

And she'll ruin your faith with her casual lies

And she only reveals what she wants you to see

She hides like a child

But she's always a woman to me...

_

* * *

_

_Patience_

Said woman take it slow it'll work itself out fine

All we need is just a little patience

Said sugar make it slow and we come together fine

All we need is just a little patience

I sit here on the stair 'cause I'd rather be alone

If I can't have you right now I'll wait dear

Sometimes I get so tense but I can't speed up the time

But you know love there's one more thing to consider

Said woman take it slow and things will be just fine

If you and I just use a little patience

Said sugar take good time 'cause the lights are shining bright

And you and I've got what it takes to make it...

* * *

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

**Honestly Ok**

_I just want to feel safe in my own skin_

Rabastan bowed deeply. "My Lord, I've just now received word from my informant at Hogwarts," he murmured.

"Good news, I hope," Voldemort hissed. "What of the Key?"

With a cringe, Rabastan shook his head. "No news of the Key yet my Lord. Dumbledore is guarding it well, it seems. My informant has searched much of the castle, but still he is at a loss."

The red eyes of Voldemort smouldered with anger. "Rabastan," he let out in a sigh hissing with impatience. "Have you anything useful to tell me? Ever?"

"Yes, sir, I think so," he rushed out. "A rather interesting situation arose over the weekend, while all the parents were visiting their brats at the school. You know of the Black family, of course?"

"A noble family. Oh yes," Voldemort replied with a smirk. "I believe the eldest of the current generation –Andromeda, was it?- works for that joke of a Ministry. You failed to court the girl in your younger days, yes? And she turned you down in favour of a filthy muggle?"

A flush of mingled anger and embarrassment washed over the young Death-Eater's face. "Yes Lord. And as it turns out, she has a cousin, a fifth-year Gryffindor who unfortunately, is turning out to be every inch the blood-traitor Andromeda is. It was, by all accounts, an interesting confrontation when the boy, Sirius Black is his name, out-and-out publicly defied his mother and refused to... pursue more respectable alliances than those with whom he currently consorts," Rabastan relayed quickly, hoping that at least some information he could give would appease his master.

Voldemort shrugged, apparently unimpressed. "So the little Gryffindor brat is a blood-traitor. Why should I care any more for him than any of the other countless blood-traitors befouling our world?"

"There is more to it, my Lord," came the almost pleading reply. "A girl. A Mudblood, the very thing Black defies his family for. My informant has watched her for months now, since she arrived at the school, and as Black's girlfriend he considers her his greatest weakness."

"And again, why should I care? The girl is just another Mudblood to be wasted. Though I am feeling up to a spot of torture –it's been weeks since I heard the sound of a screaming muggle- who is the girl? Perhaps I shall pay her family a little visit," Voldemort mused with a wicked grin.

Rabastan shrugged apologetically. "No one knows about her family for certain, Lord. The girl's name is Summers, Dawn Summers, but my informant mentioned she had no visitors of her own over the weekend. Rumour has it she, her sister and mother were abandoned by her father, that the mother died of some filthy muggle disease and the sister was somehow lost to her. Even the old fool himself could not locate the sister to reunite them, so she is in effect alone, and almost unprotected."

Abandoned and orphaned? Voldemort could almost relate to the little Mudblood. "Almost unprotected?" he asked curiously.

Rabastan eagerly latched onto the slight interest shown by his master. "Yes my Lord. You see, my informant reports that she has fallen in with the Potter family."

"The Potters?" Voldemort hissed, his red eyes narrowing dangerously. How he hated that family who always stood so determinedly against him. Rabastan let out an involuntary whimper at the sudden mood swing.

"Their boy James, he's been heard to call Summers his sister, though there is no apparent blood relation between them, and the parents paid particular attention to the girl while they were there, too. She could be a useful tool, Lord, in teaching a painful lesson to those who dare stand against you," the Death-Eater hinted darkly.

"You know," Voldemort smiled suddenly. "I think it high time I met with this informant of yours, Rabastan."

* * *

James grinned down at Dawn as she matched her steps to his. "Not late for class, are you Kitten?"

"We should look into alarm clocks," Dawn sighed. "I miss breakfast."

James snorted. "Alarm clocks would just interrupt a perfectly nice Thursday morning sleep-in. We could just skive off class and go to the Kitchens," he offered.

Dawn wrinkled her nose. "Pass. Probably not the best idea to leave Sirius all alone in the Divination tower. Those incense fumes do strange things to people."

James laughed loudly. "Explains Damus then."

Dawn started to giggle, then she heard the whispers. She'd been hearing those whispers for about four days now, ever since the very public showdown of the Blacks that she'd landed herself in the middle of.

"That's the one, Sirius Black's girlfriend. I can't believe you missed it, he practically disowned his own moth-"

The voice didn't get any further than that; the fourth-year Hufflepuff who'd been feverishly whispering to her friends suddenly found herself on the wrong side of James Potter's temper. She tried to squeal in alarm, but found it a little difficult considering her lips had just been magically sewn together.

"C'mon," James muttered, grabbing Dawn's hand and speeding off down the corridor. They scrambled to the Divination tower and up the ladder to Damus' already underway class.

"You shouldn't have done that," Dawn whispered as she flipped to the latest entry of her Dream Journal. "But thanks."

James nodded in response. Sirius watched the interaction with a questioning glance, but Dawn merely shook her head to let him know it was nothing worth worrying over. An Oracle lay open before them on the table, but Dawn ignored it. She'd come to realise that her dreams about Sunnydale required a more literal than symbolic interpretation. Though there was one dream she'd been having about a pair of bright green eyes and a lightning bolt scar that she couldn't quite figure out.

Bored with his own work already, Sirius scooted close up to Dawn so he could read her latest entries over her shoulder. It was his favourite thing to do in class: Dawn's dreams were always written so honestly and openly (unlike his), they were detailed and interesting, Sirius had managed to learn a lot about what life in Sunnydale must've been like through them.

As always, Dawn lasted about four seconds before she passed her Journal over completely and reached for Sirius' abandoned one. Sometimes she truly believed that if she didn't do his Divination work it simply wouldn't be done, but Dawn didn't mind the challenge. There was no subtlety to Sirius, his dreams were all such amazingly abstract versions of subconscious expression of sexual desire... dogs chasing cats up trees (that memory always made her laugh), swimming in the Antarctic with Killer Whales (that one was _really_ abstract, she'd had to consult the Oracle twice to be certain) and being a muggle astronaut on a space-shuttle preparing for take-off (that one wasn't abstract at all, actually). Dawn often wondered if Sirius was even recording his real dreams at all, or if the whole thing was one big joke to him.

Sirius flipped through the latest series of dreams Dawn had recorded, images of Sunnydale for the most part, occasionally broken by a flash of green eyes and a strange lightning-shaped scar. For the most part, Dawn's dreams told an unhappy story of the life she'd left behind and Sirius was finding it more and more difficult to see a downside to her being exiled from the Hellmouth forever. He knew Dawn missed her family still at times, and there was the occasional bright spot like the engagement ring she'd seen on Anya's finger, but the bad in Sunnydale always seemed to outweigh the good. Willow becoming dependent on Wiccan magic... her relationship with Tara imploding as a result... stacks of boxes at the front door as Tara moved out... Giles walking away from them all... Buffy and Spike fighting... Buffy and Spike kissing... Buffy and Spike doing... other things Dawn did not wish to discuss.

He was chuckling over how engaging his little Kitten's bashful innocence could be when she suddenly shoved his own completed work back in front of him. Sirius bit back a groan of horror as he read. Who knew his fake dream about roasting marshmallows over a campfire with his mates could be interpreted as the subconscious' way of expressing unresolved sexual tensions within him? Dawn was shaking her head, giving a little embarrassed giggle.

"You worry me," she told him.

James snickered loudly and arched an eyebrow at Sirius, the spark in his hazel depths suggesting he just get it over with and start recording the truth in his Dream Journal. It'd be quicker, in any event, than bothering with the Oracle.

The lesson finally ended and the little group took to the hallways to meet their friends for Defence Against the Dark Arts. The moment they stepped in amongst the crowd, Dawn heard the whispering start up again. Sirius' hand tightened a little around her own, a tiny growl resounded deep in his throat.

"Oh bloody hell!" James snapped at the student population in general. "Don't you people have your own lives to be getting on with?" By the time they met with the others in the Defence room, James had magically sewn six more mouths shut, and administered a handful of magical wedgies for good measure. Dawn would have complained, but it was just so effective in shutting people up.

By the end of the day, Dawn had thoroughly had enough of hearing people talk about her. Sunnydale Junior High had been painfully rife with rumours at times, but it was never quite this bad. Hogwarts students with a rumour were as relentless as a dog with a bone. Or Spike with a taped episode of Passions.

"It's the downside of a boarding school," Remus explained as they left the Great Hall after dinner, his had as firmly enclosed around Isabel's as Sirius' was around Dawn's.

"Yeah, there's no escape," Isabel piped up. "Nobody ever goes home at the end of cla-"

"Potter!" Lily shrieked from behind, cutting Isabel's sentence short. "What do you think you're doing now?"

James shrugged innocently, returning his wand to the folds of his robes. "Teaching the student body a thing or two about gossiping." Behind him, a group of frightened-looking third-years scuttled off to the Hospital Wing for Madam Pomfrey to unstitch their lips... and hopefully remove the boils.

Lily ground her teeth together, trying to suppress her rage, if only for Dawn's sake. She had promised not to hex Potter any more if she could possibly help it. And she had accepted that galleon as a bribe. Besides, the American had copped quite a beating by the rumour mill.

James smiled happily. "You know, you look really cute when you're angry, Evans. Will you-?"

"No I will _not_ go out with you!" the redhead exploded.

"Actually, Evans," James returned cheekily. "I was going to ask if you'd care to show me how to do that teeth-grinding thing... over dinner."

Dawn shared a quick, secretive grin with Sirius as the group of Gryffindors made their way into the Common Room and settled around the fire. Barely five minutes later, the slim shadows of two fifteen year-olds were disappearing up the boys' staircase. Lily rolled her eyes, pretending not to notice the rule broken right under her nose. Remus and James barely managed to cover their snickers, and Isabel was smiling widely, snuggling a little closer to Remus. Remus grinned down at the blond comfortably attached to his side. Several minutes later, Peter looked around, his nose wrinkled in confusion.

"Where are Padfoot and Dawn?"

Even Lily couldn't hold back the snort of laughter at that.

* * *

"Do you hear that?" Dawn asked as they stepped into the Marauders' dorm.

"What, Kitten?" Sirius frowned. "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly," came the contented sigh. No whispers, no stares, no pointing and giggling. Just peace. Dawn glanced out the window and perked up instantly. "Hey, it's snowing!"

Sirius couldn't help but smirk at the childlike delight with which Dawn bounded over to the large bay window and clambered up to the ledge. She stared out into the darkness, captivated by the soft glitter of snowflakes that fluttered to the earth.

"Never seen snow before?" Sirius teased lightly, coming up behind Dawn. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Only the miracle variety," Dawn replied with a shrug that almost catapulted Sirius' chin from its resting place.

"Hmm?" he breathed in her ear, waiting for the little Sunnydale anecdote that would no doubt be forthcoming.

"Yeah, Christmas a few years ago. The First Evil did its evil thing and Angel decided that the only way to stop Angelus getting let out of his cage again was for him to kill himself. He went up to the bluff to wait for the sun to rise, even Buffy couldn't convince him to get inside... only it snowed so heavily that the sun was blocked out. Miracle snow. Guess the Powers really needed their Champion or something," she concluded, for a moment dwelling on memories of lives now lost to her.

Sirius soon left her with no room to dwell on the past, his lips distracting her by kissing every little bit of skin currently in their reach. Dawn let out an appreciative sigh as Sirius' mouth started working its way along her jaw line before skipping right down to the arc of her neck. She swung around on the window ledge so she was facing him and took his face in her hands to guide his mouth up to hers. Sirius yanked Dawn up close to him, taking her legs and wrapping them firmly about his waist.

Before she knew what was happening, Dawn had been lifted off the ledge and carried across the dorm, Sirius kissing her soundly the entire time. They blindly crashed onto his bed in a tangle of limbs, Dawn grunted under the added weight of the body now on top of her and shifted until she wasn't quite so easily pinned to the bed. Sirius, meanwhile, had somehow managed to settle himself in between her thighs, she tried to slide into a less compromising position but there was nowhere to go.

Sirius thought he'd go mad with the little whimpers Dawn let out against his lips, with the way her body seemed made to be moulded against his... even through all that clothing he wouldn't mind getting out of the way. Dawn broke away suddenly, gasping for air and trembling beneath him.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, trying not to focus too obviously on the rapid rise and fall of Dawn's chest.

"Breathing is good," Dawn panted.

"Oh. Right."

While Dawn caught her breath, Sirius amused himself by drawing his fingers over her face. He ran a finger lightly down the centre of her face, tracing between her eyes, down the length of her nose and finally over her lips to her chin. Dawn smiled, basking in the attention as he began to canvass her features in greater detail. Sirius' finger followed the delicate arch of her eyebrow before moving down to caress the smooth, high cheekbones. When he reached her lips again, Dawn surprised him by showering his whole hand with a series of sweet little kisses.

He soon replaced his hand with his own lips, recapturing Dawn with his kisses while his hand moved further down, paying the same attention to her body as it had her face. Dawn felt every moment of Sirius' kisses like fire, and the way his hands could make her skin hum and tingle was almost earth-shattering, but she was starting to suffocate under the intensity of him. Sirius had stolen a hand into the tiniest gap between their bodies and as a result, several buttons of both their shirts were no longer as fastened as they ought to be.

Sirius moved slowly down her body, his lips attached themselves to Dawn's collarbone and his hand cupped her breast, rubbing in small circles over her bra. Dawn's eyes squeezed tightly closed, her heart pounded painfully in her chest and droplets of sweat dotted her forehead. Sirius let out a low moan full of unadulterated desire and shifted his body, allowing his hand to slide up the skirt already bunched around her waist, barely covering her.

Dawn's eyes flew open in surprised alarm, her body tensed and all of a sudden she wasn't enjoying herself so much anymore. Sirius wasn't being rough in the least, or overly forceful with her, but his hand had strayed places hands had never gone before. Touching places that weren't ready to be touched.

"Stop," she whimpered, eyes wide and pleading. "Please stop."

Sirius paused, his fingers still hooked incriminatingly under the elastic of the underwear he'd been on the verge of tugging out of his way. He heaved a great sigh to collect himself then lifted his head so he could see his girlfriend's face. She looked nicely dishevelled, but with a troubling flicker of fear in the deep wells of her eyes. Almost guiltily, Sirius withdrew both his hands and pushed himself up, leaving Dawn with a little more breathing space. She sat up and, flushing with embarrassment, hastily refastened her shirt and smoothed her skirt down.

Reluctantly, Sirius redid his own buttons. He didn't realise he'd pushed so far... he just always wanted a little more of her. "Sorry Kitten," he muttered, looking away.

"I just don't wanna rush," Dawn explained, running her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to comb it back into place. Sure, she knew Sirius was no Gypsy-cursed vampire, but the thought of going too far, too fast still terrified her no end. Sirius bit back a pout. He'd wanted Dawn for far too long, barely a night went by when he didn't dream about her, and they'd been together for weeks now. So why didn't she want him?

Dawn chewed her lip, sensing the disappointment in Sirius as he sat next to her on the bed. "Are we ok?" she asked tentatively.

Sirius looked up at the childlike timidness with which Dawn had spoken and without even understanding why he suddenly felt like an insensitive git. He gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and summoned his most reassuring smile. "Of course we are, Dawnie."

"Good," Dawn smiled and pressed a teasingly chaste kiss to his cheek. "I'm gonna go take a nap before we go for midnight snacks. See you later?"

"See you later," Sirius echoed as Dawn slipped out of the boys' dorm. Feeling highly confused and frustrated, Sirius thanked Merlin that at the very least he had time for a cold shower before they all met for their monthly Kitchen trip.

* * *

Dawn paused before stepping into the Common Room, taking a moment to ensure she was at least semi-presentable. Satisfied that she'd unrumpled her clothing and smoothed her hair as much as possible, she took a deep breath and left the cover of the boys' stairwell behind. She'd expected to meet with an entire room full of people, but soon realised that she must've been upstairs for longer than she'd thought, as only two people remained on the couch by the fire. Not wanting to ruin the moment, Dawn tip-toed across and up the girls' stairs before Remus and Isabel noticed the intruding presence.

Remus broke the kiss with a sigh, not at all looking forward to the conversation he was about to initiate. "I have something to tell you," he said slowly.

Sensing the inherit danger in those words, Isabel sat up a little straighter. "What's wrong, Remus?"

He couldn't quite meet her eyes. "I have to go away for a couple of days. There's family stuff I have to help with," he lied evasively.

"I hope everything's alright," Isabel worried with a quick squeeze of his hand. "When do you have to go?"

"Tomorrow, after classes."

Isabel looked slightly crestfallen. "But tomorrow is... it's our one month anniversary, Remus. I was planning something for us. Do you really have to go?" she pouted.

For a moment, Remus felt the hot stab of self-pity, guilt and self-loathing tearing through him. He looked down, mumbling and apologetic. "I'm so sorry Isabel. Really, I am. But it can't be helped, I've got to go... if you're not too disappointed, maybe we could celebrate our month when I get back?" he tried, feeling it was a poor trade-off himself.

Resigned, Isabel started playing with the ends of Remus' hair. "Ok then, I understand. But why do you have to go?"

He would tell her the truth, she deserved that much Remus resolved as he looked up to catch her eye. But then there were those wonderfully warm brown eyes, shining at him with such trust and affection that Remus couldn't bear the thought of the horror they'd fill with when he told her his secret.

"Actually, I'm... really a Secret Agent for the British muggle Government and I go by the name Bond. James Bond."

She laughed and slapped playfully at his shoulder. "You wish, Lupin."

"What's that, Whitman?" Remus feigned offence as he pushed his guilt away. "You don't think I'm suave enough to be a Secret Agent?"

"No," she giggled. "You're far too sweet to be suave."

"Well in that case..." Remus grinned and leaned in to resume their activities from before their little conversation.

Isabel slipped up to the girls' dorms shortly before midnight, and soon the Marauders had gathered under James' Invisibility Cloak for the walk down to the Kitchens. With the five of them crowded in together like sardines, Dawn couldn't help but wish she owned steel-capped boots just for this monthly occasion. The boys in all their attempts at masculine striding were slowly killing her feet.

"Ouch," she hissed as Peter's foot squashed her big toe.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Shh," James cautioned.

"Oh thanks for your concern," Dawn muttered sarcastically.

They settled into silence for a few steps.

"Ouch!" James yelped loudly. "Padfoot, you great ruddy oaf, that was my foot!"

"Shove it, Prongs," Sirius snapped back, equally as loudly.

"Shh," Dawn hissed ironically.

"Oh thanks for your concern," James mimicked.

A long-suffering sigh escaped Remus and Dawn tittered behind her hand. Somehow, they made it to the fruit painting without alerting Filch and half the castle to their whereabouts.

"Thank Merlin," Remus muttered. He didn't particularly enjoy the prospect of earning a detention the night before his transformation. The pear was tickled and the door opened, the group shed the Invisibility Cloak and stepped into the cosy warmth of the Kitchens and grinned at the House-Elves that fell upon them. Dawn spotted Locky in the rabble and waved happily at the little creature.

"Mistress Dawn!" Locky squealed and threw her arms about Dawn's knees, almost knocking her over. Sirius grabbed Dawn to steady her.

"Whoa. Strong grip," Dawn muttered, still unable to be righted due to the House-Elf tangled in her legs. Finally releasing her death grip on Dawn's knees, Locky glanced up. Seeing only Dawn securely in Sirius' arms, and not noticing the way he was hastily trying to set her back on her own two feet, the tennis-ball eyes lit up like lurid green light-bulbs.

"Mistress Dawn _and_ Sir Padfoot together still! Ooh they is making the prettiest pair, they must come down to the Kitchens for another date, Locky is happy to be fixing everything to their liking. We loves to see Mistress Dawn and Sir Padfoot so happy together, all us House-Elves is saying so, every day," Locky began to babble, while Dawn blushed and Sirius only grinned.

His grin faded when he registered the loud gagging sounds emitting from James' throat and glanced over his shoulder at his friends. James was rolling around on the floor, mock choking while Remus merely regarded him with a raised eyebrow. Peter had looked away, he seemed to be trying to ignore the entire production altogether.

"Is it time for food yet?" he squeaked suddenly, shifting his pale, watery gaze back to his friends expectantly.

Dawn laughed at the way James responded to the word 'food'. Like a dog hearing a dinner bell, his ears had perked up and he bounced fluidly to his feet, his eyes darting expectantly around. If he'd had a tail, Dawn was certain he'd be wagging it. In moments they'd been seated around a table piled ridiculously high with food. If one did not know just what a Marauder was capable of ingesting in a single sitting, one would make the mistake of swearing there was too much food laid out. They ate to their hearts' content, until Dawn noticed exactly how pale Remus' face was becoming and insisted they head back to Gryffindor tower so he could get some sleep.

When Dawn descended the stairs the next morning, there was a sense of foreboding in the air as tangible as an Invisibility Cloak spread over the entire castle. A quick stock-take of her friends as they met in the Common Room showed one was missing.

"Morning. Where's James?"

"McGonagall came to get him a while ago," Remus said, his voice low and gloomy, and not because of the impending full moon.

Dawn picked up on the familiar vibe of a loved one in trouble. "Is everyone ok? What happened?" she worried.

Sirius squeezed her hand as they headed to the Great Hall. "We don't know, McGonagall wouldn't say anything in the dorm. Probably wanted to get out of there right quick, what with Wormtail still walking around in his undies-"

"Off topic, Padfoot," Remus cut in tiredly.

Sirius flashed a quick grin of apology at his friends before his mannerisms became noticeably more sombre. "Well we really shouldn't jump to conclusions, but whenever anybody got called out like that last year... Voldemort..." he trailed off. He didn't really need to spell it out anyway.

Dawn shuddered. The last thing she'd wanted was to step into a world that had the potential for Sunnydale-esque mortality rates. And the thought of something bad happening to the sweet, wonderful Potters was nothing short of sickening. She sat down heavily at the table, and for once Remus didn't even bother trying to ply her with food.

Looking a little sick herself, Lily wordlessly tossed her copy of the _Daily Prophet_, the Wizarding Newspaper, down the table at them. Sirius snatched it up and began to scan the front page.

"Shit," he breathed, all the colour draining from his face.

"What?" Remus and Dawn demanded as one, neither even registering the curse. Peter just stared as if he was afraid to ask.

Clearing his throat, Sirius began to read snatches of the front page news. "Last night several of the Ministry's top Aurors responded to reports of an alarming amount of Dark Magic registering in muggle Surrey... a spokesperson for the Ministry later admitted to the _Prophet_ that while the Aurors were too late to save the young muggle family whose home was attacked-" Sirius had to pause as Dawn let out a gasp of horror and Lily sighed glumly. She was only one of many muggle-born students more than a little worried about families left at home unprotected.

"Several of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters were still in the home, when the Aurors arrived. It is reported that a duel broke out when the team, last night operating under the command of Harold Potter, Deputy Head Auror, stormed the building," Sirius continued.

"Oh God- is he ok?" Dawn breathed painfully. The horrible weight that was pressing in on her chest was starting to make both breathing and speaking difficult. She bit her lip and gripped Sirius' arm with all her strength. Within mere minutes, Sirius began to lose the feeling in the tips of his fingers as the vice of Dawn's hand cut off his circulation and he rushed on before he could no longer hold the paper.

"In what has been hailed one of the most brutal encounters with Dark Wizards since the downfall of Grindelwald, two Aurors have been seriously wounded. The two Aurors, whom the Ministry have refused to publicly identify, are in a critical condition at St Mungo's Hospital. Head Auror Alastor Moody had this comment for the _Prophet_ last night: 'We can now only practice constant vigilance. The war has truly started'."

A ringing silence echoed throughout the little group when Sirius' voice faded away. Lily was staring morosely at her plate and Isabel was resting her head against Remus' shoulder. It seemed that hearing the gory details for the second time hadn't been any easier than reading them the first time around. Remus rested his cheek on the top of Isabel's head and Peter played absently with his knife. Sirius lowered the paper and the first thing he saw was Dawn's eyes, huge and luminous, wet with tears and staring fearfully at him.

"You don't think he's really hurt, do you?" she whispered brokenly. "I wish we could see James, I hope he's ok." Sirius just closed his eyes as Dawn crashed into him, his head pounding as he thought about all the things that could possibly have happened to the man he considered his adoptive father almost.

"He's here," Remus blurted suddenly, breathing life back into all the Marauders.

James stood framed in the doorway with professor McGonagall, his trademark mess of hair even more dishevelled than usual, his shoulders a little slumped. Dawn disentangled herself from Sirius in order to hurl herself at James as he reached his friends. She half expected a quick squeeze, a light joke and the usual positive Marauder mentality.

But the second Dawn's arms locked around him, James seized her and hugged so hard he almost cracked her ribs. The others all exchanged glances, shifting uncomfortably with the suspense. When they finally separated, Dawn settled James securely between herself and Sirius, her hand on his and Sirius' gripping his best friend's shoulder supportively.

"He's ok," James mumbled finally. "Wasn't him. He's fine. Not him, not this time."

Everybody miraculously remembered how to breathe again. Even Lily sent a reassuring look James' way and Dawn wiped hastily at her eyes before she started to look like a wet rat. Sirius gave James' shoulder a rough squeeze before taking his hand away.

"What happened?" Remus asked gingerly.

James shrugged. "I don't know any more than what was in the papers, really. I think McGonagall just didn't want me to panic," he added with a humourless laugh.

None of them knew what to say that would be of any consolation to James. Without even a single bite of breakfast, apart from the few slices of toast Peter stuffed into his pocket, they headed to their first class of the day together. They walked in pensive silence for a while.

"I'm going to do something," James announced suddenly. "My Dad's out there fighting a war against darkness that most people are too afraid to even think about... he could die any day. I don't know how yet, and I don't care of it costs me my life, but I'm going to fight Voldemort with everything I have. Whatever I do, I swear to Merlin I'll do something great!"

There was a moment of silent contemplation as everybody processed the passion behind James' pledge. Dawn was smiling at him. "You know something James? You would've made a helluva Scooby."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "Scooby? As in the cartoon dog? Yeah, I see the resemblance."

Before Dawn could explain the reference as she meant it in more accurate detail, a familiar, scrawny figure stood in their path and an oily laugh oozed over them. Both Sirius and James pulled their wands immediately.

"Bugger off, Snivellus," Sirius snapped.

Snape ignored him. His black eyes glittered malevolently at James. "Off to plan the funeral, Potter? Might as well, it's only a matter of time before your father takes an Avada Kedavra right to the chest."

Sirius growled. James had gone white with rage.

A wicked grin flashed across the sallow face. "Is it really him laid up in S Mungo's? Think he'll do the rest of us a favour and just die?"

James and Sirius both fired off curses. Isabel and Peter squealed in alarm, Lily and Remus dove forwards to knock the boys' aim off course... so that Dawn wouldn't take both curses square in the back as she got right up in Snape's face. Without even thinking she'd let out a strange girlish roar, a hybrid of a shriek, a squeal and a growl, and stepped up to Snape.

The stinging slap of a hand to flesh echoed throughout the hallway like a cracking whip as Dawn swung with all the strength she never even knew she possessed. Right before their eyes, a vividly red and perfectly formed handprint appeared on Snape's sallow cheek.

"How dare you?" Dawn growled, her voice shaking under the strain of all the venom flooding through her. "Get out of my sight NOW!"

With the ear-splitting shriek her voice rose to on the last word, everybody jumped and looked at Dawn with a new mix of fear and respect. Peter had even dropped his piece of toast in alarm and scrambled back a few steps. Scowling, a hand held to his stinging cheek, Snape turned slowly and slunk off in the opposite direction. Dawn glared at the weedy figure until it was out of sight, then turned to her thunderstruck friends.

"What?" she asked innocently.

James leaned over to mutter in Sirius' ear as they walked on together as if nothing had happened. "Ever get the feeling the little Kitten's gonna grow up to be a Tiger?" he asked wryly.

"I'd have said a Lioness," Sirius shrugged. "Gryffindor and all."

* * *

Remus shoved his bowl of soup away as the Hospital Wing doors swung open, but frowned as he realised only one figure had ducked in, not the usual rabble of friends he'd been expecting.

"All right, Moony?" Sirius asked, flopping into the seat by the bed.

Remus nodded. "All right. But where are all the others?"

"Sent them down to the Kitchens without me,' Sirius replied shortly. "Thought we might have a bit of a chat is all."

Tired, sick, but shrewd as ever, Remus took in the slight slumping of Sirius' shoulders, the dejected set of his mouth and the way the Animagus stoutly preferred staring at the ground to looking in his friend's eyes. "All right Padfoot, out with it. What's the matter?"

Sirius didn't even pretend not to know what Remus was on about. He sighed, throwing his body back in the seat until he was staring at the ceiling. "Moony, how far have you and Isabel gone?" he asked suddenly.

Remus arched an eyebrow. "Far enough for a couple of fifteen year-olds who've only been together for a month. Which is most definitely not as involved as you'd call 'far enough' after about three dates," he said evasively. "What the bloody hell d'you want to know something like that for?"

The slumped shoulders twitched into a shrug. "Just curious. Trying to figure a few things out."

It clicked. Remus sat up a little. "Sirius? Is everything alright with you and Dawn?"

Finally, Sirius brought his gaze to Remus', and the werewolf almost cringed at the disheartened and frustrated confusion echoing through the pale eyes. "Yeah... no... I don't know. It's just, I feel like she's waiting for something better. Like she doesn't think I'm good enough for her or something," he mumbled, almost ashamed to be admitting the feelings out loud.

"What-?" Remus began, brow furrowed in confusion, then he cut himself off. He almost snorted out loud as he realised how exactly Sirius' logic had derailed. Remus wasn't really exaggerating when he'd implied Sirius would think nothing of going all the way with a girl by the third date, but Dawn was not like other girls at Hogwarts. Certainly not like the girls Sirius usually pursued. He just gave his misguided friend a baleful look.

"Padfoot, you're a dolt," he announced.

The look of shock on Sirius' face was priceless, but Remus forced himself to keep a straight face and press on now that he had Sirius' attention. "Look, you obviously couldn't be more wrong about that. Anyone with eyes can see Dawn adores you more than anything."

Sirius scowled a little. "Yeah, but I just don't get why one day she's pretty much telling me she loves me, and the next she doesn't want me to touch her," he grumbled.

Remus blinked. "She told you she loves you?" Scary thing for someone his age to contemplate, in Remus' opinion. He was brought out of his thoughts by the square of folded parchment Sirius had extracted from his robes to shove under his nose. Remus read the poetic lines and let out a low whistle. "No kidding."

"So why doesn't she want me like I want her?" Sirius pressed on, snatching the Shakespeare quote in swirly handwriting that he kept on him at all times now and restoring it safely to the pocket of his robes.

"Well let's take a moment to think about this," Remus replied, as of explaining to a three year-old why making a fish tank out of tissue paper wouldn't work out for the best. "What do we know about Dawn? What of her life in Sunnydale?"

His face creased up in thought, wondering what Remus was getting at, Sirius began to blurt out every random fact about Sunnydale that popped into his head. "Well Buffy was a Slayer, Dawn always knew of monsters and demons and the like. She always had to have someone looking out for her in case some evil thing like Glory decided to come after her. She got kidnapped a couple of times. Last Christmas she accidentally got served egg nog with rum in it. Her room was purple and had a tropical fish mobile hanging from the ceiling that Buffy bought her for her eleventh birthday. And oh yeah, she eventually got tied to the top of a tower built by crazy people and bled half to death by some slash-happy demon," he concluded. "What's your point?"

Remus sighed. Why did Sirius' selective stupidity always rear its ugly, clueless head when he was trying to explain something that was complicated enough in the first place? "And how many mentions of boys did we have there?"

"Well she told me once she never made all that many friends, because she couldn't handle knowing everything she did about the supernatural and not being allowed to share it," Sirius rambled obliviously. "But there was one girl Dawn said she didn't mind, Janice I think, though there was some other girl who used to start rumours about her that she was adopted and into cutting herself... I wouldn't mind pranking her for good measure. Oh and that Kevin git who called her freaky, I'd really love to give him a good hard kick up the-"

"My point is," Remus cut in loudly. He wasn't feeling well enough to withstand one of Sirius' rants for much longer. "You've spent the last few years making out and more with as many girls as Peter's had chocolate puddings. She's spent the last few years being lonely, alienated and fearing for her life. Not a lot of room left for making out with boys, let alone anything else," he lectured quietly.

"Well," a grin flashed across Sirius' face. "I do have the distinction of being her first kiss."

"It's obvious she likes you. More than likes, really. Just because she isn't ready to move at the speed of light, doesn't mean she doesn't want you, Padfoot. She'll know what she wants from you, why not try letting her show you what she can handle?" Remus suggested logically, before posing his final question. "Is she worth the wait?"

"Hell yes, Moony."

"Then I suggest you get accustomed to taking cold showers... you'll need them," Remus replied, not quite able to keep the smirk from his face.

"Don't I know it," Sirius muttered.

Sirius was mulling it all over when the doors swung open once more. Both he and Remus looked up guiltily as the topic of their conversation bounded into the Hospital Wing with a considerably lumpier than usual bag. Dawn looked between the two boys curiously.

"Whoa. I'm not interrupting secret men's business, am I?"

"Not at all, Kitten. Come join us," Remus invited with a chuckle.

Dawn perched herself on the side of his bed and began unpacking what looked to be half a picnic lunch. "So how're you feeling, Rem?"

"Tired, but fine," he promised. "What happened to James and Peter?"

A little snicker burst out of Dawn before she could censor herself. "They went back to the Kitchens for more food. We sort of lost half of it because, um, Peter fell down the stairs."

There were only a few minutes of lunch left by the time the two final Marauders joined them, and Dawn, Sirius and Remus had already eaten all the food stashed in Dawn's bag.

"What took you so long?" Sirius asked from his position sprawled in his chair, his feet propped up on Remus' bed and Dawn playing lazily with his shoelaces.

"Well after Wormtail fell down the stairs again we heard a bunch of Ravenclaws psycho-analysing yours and the Kitten's little scene with your mum, Padfoot," James explained. Remus and Dawn exchanged knowing glances.

"Prongs, exactly how many companions should I be expecting for this afternoon?" Remus asked flatly.

"Six or seven," James shrugged. "Once they figure out how to untangle their tongues from around their legs I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will be able to shrink them back to their natural size."

"Listen, James," Dawn laid a hand on his arm. "Not that I don't love you being all overprotective big brother and all, but maybe it's time you stopped randomly hexing people on our behalf."

"Why would I want to do that?" James asked, dumbfounded by the request.

"Because Lily's going postal with all the damage you're doing round the school. I don't want you to make her mad at you on my account," Dawn explained with a gentle smile.

James grinned. "Why worry about it? Evans is always mad at me about something. But if you really want me to, I'll try to keep my wand in my pocket. Only because you smacked down Snivellus," he clarified.

Dawn groaned. One rash act of rage, and the boys were never going to let her live it down. Sirius and James had even gone as far as engraving an X into the stone wall where it had happened, along with the date so that the site would be marked forever. The boys had not appreciated Dawn's little lecture on graffiti, but some quickly conjured flowers had managed to keep her quiet.

Sirius grinned at the reminder and leaned over to speak to Peter. "You know, I think I may be the only bloke at Hogwarts who gets to brag that his girlfriend walloped Snivellus," he confided in a stage whisper. Dawn poked her tongue out at him, but Sirius only smirked.

* * *

He felt the disturbance in the air around his bed, but his half-asleep mind just assumed there was a draft in the room. Sirius was about to call out for Peter to close the window when he felt the edge of his mattress dip and all of a sudden he knew he wasn't alone.

"Sirius? Are you awake?" the sweet, small voice was as soft as the rustling of his sheets as his companion burrowed beneath them.

"Could be. Hey baby," Sirius murmured, forcing his eyes open and reaching out to Dawn.

She smiled. "Hey baby," she returned, snuggling into his embrace and lacing her fingers through his.

"Is anything wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to see you," Dawn murmured, stretching up to brush her lips against his.

Sirius responded readily to Dawn, but Remus' suggestions were fresh in his mind and he was careful not to increase the intensity level to the point where Dawn could no longer feel in control. Dawn waited impatiently for Sirius to deepen their kiss and move things a little further along as he inevitably would, but it soon became apparent to her that he wasn't going to be the one to push things to the next level.

Feeling relaxed and comfortable, and suddenly very willing to explore just a little more, Dawn tried deepening the kiss and felt Sirius matching her, but once again unwilling to take the lead. It didn't take her long to figure out the play, and Dawn set to work urging both their bodies to where she was comfortable.

He ended up half on top of her again, only the hand braced against her waist was keeping his full weight from bearing down on her, but still Sirius kept his hormones firmly in check. If this was as far as Dawn wanted to take things, then he'd... really need one of those cold showers Remus had warned him about tonight.

Dawn rubbed her hands down Sirius' back, remembering the way his hands moving over her own body could set her skin on fire. While she knew she really wasn't ready to handle all of that hormonal conflagration, Dawn's thoughts wandered, riddled with curiosity... maybe one of those little, controlled spot fires, like back-burning wouldn't be such a bad thing. Her hand reached for the one he'd rested on her waist of its own accord, Sirius almost bit Dawn's tongue in his shock as she took his hand and, sliding it up over her clothing, settled it on her breast. She let out a little sigh.

After a few minutes, he broke the kiss long enough to loom down on her face. "You don't mind this? You're ok with it?" he asked, still stroking her gently.

Dawn didn't even open her eyes as she nodded slightly. "That feels good," she murmured contentedly.

Sirius grinned before he leaned back in to resume kissing Dawn. Maybe this following her gentle lead business wasn't quite so bad, after all.

* * *

Voldemort stared appraisingly at Rabastan's Hogwarts informant as the boy stood before him for inspection. He was still a boy, but he was on the verge of manhood, and his potential was an untapped resource of wealth, power and purity. Red eyes lit up like demonic candles. Voldemort had found himself a new follower.

"Mr Malfoy, I've been looking forward to meeting you," he hissed in his most welcoming voice.

White-blond hair tumbled forwards as Lucius Malfoy bowed before Lord Voldemort for the first time. "It is my honour and privilege, Lord," he replied smoothly.

"Rabastan Lestrange has told me much about you, Lucius," Voldemort continued as if Malfoy had not even spoken. "He tells me I have you to thank for any information coming out of that infernal school in which you still find yourself stranded. Is that correct, Lucius?"

Malfoy nodded. "It is indeed, Lord. I'm glad to be of assistance, I should be proud to serve you in any way I can."

A sickly smiled spread over the Dark Wizard's face. "That, dear boy, is just what I wanted to hear. Have you any news of my Key yet?"

"No Lord, I apologise," Malfoy cringed.

An unnaturally white, bony hand shot up to stem the babble of remorse about to spew from Malfoy's lips. "I do not appreciate apologies, Lucius, I appreciate results. Do you intend to show me results? Or am I wasting my time?"

"Certainly not, Lord," Malfoy was quick to assure him. "I will do everything in my power to see that you have your Key. If the cost is my very blood, I swear to you, you will have it."

"Wonderful," Voldemort said softly, with an appeased smile. A mere instant later, he'd snapped back into business mode. "Now, how do you feel about a spot of Mudblood torture to set an example?" he asked briskly.

Malfoy blinked, taken aback by the bluntness with which the subject had been broached. "Your pardon, Lord?" he begged.

Voldemort smiled nastily. "Well, it would only be one Mudblood to begin with. A specific, filthy little thing with connections I'd like to make all involved suffer for."

Malfoy's eyebrow arched smoothly in understanding. "Summers."

"A quick study, Lucius. I like to see that," Voldemort commented. "Yes. The pain of that one piece of filth just might be the knife through the heart of the Potters that I've been searching for," he mused.

"You wish me to kill the Mudblood?" Malfoy queried, just to be sure he'd fully understood the order.

Voldemort laughed. "You are young yet, Lucius, you've yet to learn the subtler arts of inflicting pain. Death is quick and final, but pain if inflicted correctly, can last a lifetime in many troubled hearts."

Malfoy frowned. "I'm not sure I understand your meaning, my Lord. You wish me not to kill her?"

"Precisely. Her death will come in time, she will perish with the rest of the vermin unfit to scurry before our feet. But for now I would see her suffer, and through her torture I will laugh at the pain of her blood-traitor friends," Voldemort gloated. He then fixed his red eyes on Malfoy with a significant stare.

"If you perform this task, and perform it admirably Lucius, I will be pleased. Perhaps I shall even be swayed into forming a more permanent alliance with you. Think of all you will do, of all you shall have, if you should serve me," Voldemort beguiled.

"I shall serve you well my Lord," Malfoy swore. "I look forward to the day I might prove my worth to you... so tell me, what pains should I inflict on the Mudblood and her worthless rabble?"

"Use your imagination," Voldemort quipped, and he smiled with evil pleasure as a smirk of comprehension settled over the young Slytherin's face.

**

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**A.N.** Cue evil music... Reviews are always appreciated (and pounced on hungrily). Thanks reviewers.

**btw-** Sorry about the delay in posting this- it would've been up Monday if my stupid computer (named Harry because he lives in the cupboard) would've worked properly instead of loggin me off every 2 minutes!!


	16. Forsaken

**Disclaimer:** All Buffy stuff is Joss Whedon's. All Harry stuff is JK Rowling's. The song 'Forsaken' is from the Queen of the Damned. Not mine.

**A/N:** There are three scenes which needed to be cut from the end of this chapter because it was just getting too long, so due to requests for more one-shots, I have posted them as one-shots. Check them out (please), they are (in chronological order)-

_Interlude: A Prongs/Tigerlily Encounter:_ He loves her. She hates him. But if there's one thing they're both good at, it's taking care of their friends. A James/Lily moment. Nice and fluffy.

_Of Towels and Wet Rats:_ Just a little conversation about dealing. Sirius comforts Dawn after her ordeal. Also of the fluffy variety.

_Hands:_ A hands-on, shirts-off experience in which Dawn begins to learn about the power of the right person's touch. Dawn/Sirius of the not so much fluffy as smutty persuasion.

**Review Responses:**

**Sonofgloin:** Thanks for understanding, like, everything about me. Review my one-shots coz you love me? All my love XX

**Kat: **Your reviews meant the world to me. Hope you got the email. Thanks again.

**Eleclya111:** This chapter's even longer!! I don't mind about the quick review... so long as I get a nice big one this time (puppy eyes)

**Lunawolf:** I updated soon! Yeah, I felt mean for making Sirius a 15 year old boy, but 5 years ago I was putting up with them... call that chapter my revenge for adolescent romance I guess.

**clcountry:** Lily may or may not be thawing towards James... we'll see. As we will with Isabel's reaction to her sweetheart's hairier alter-ego. Sorry you didn't like the fakeout- I just wanted some Voldie action and I wanted to make it hit home with James how dangerous his father's position is without pushing it too far and making it clichédâ€ I tried.

**Beachgurl2005:** Ok you're review rules, you're my new best friend LOL. Consider your wish for one-shots happily granted. Am thinking I'll do a Remus/Isabel, but I'm waiting for my muse to take me down that road. The Isabel/werewolf issue will be taken care of all in due time, I'm happy to say nobody has yet guessed the curve-ball I'm gonna throw with her, but that's a long way down the track.

This story will take us through to the end of fifth year for the gang, I don't know how many chapters that will be though. Hopefully lots, I broke the 100 000 word barrier for the first time ever in this story and it's inspiring me! I can tell you that the primary sequel will be set about 20 years later, in the time frame of Order of the Phoenix (so we get to meet Harry at the same age as we met his parents in this story) email me if you like spoilers. I honestly don't know for sure if Voldemort will find out Dawn's the Key (you'd think with the fascination Lucius has with Dawn he'd figure out she's the only new thing at Hogwarts, but there you go) and what the evil Malfoy is planning for Dawn is about to transpire right here...

Input means anything & everything that pops into your head about this story or any of the one-shots surrounding it- suggestions, comments, criticisms, wild ideas and flights of fancy... I love hearing it all. And thank you so much for saying I shouldn't change a thing no matter what, it was really heartening to read that, gave me the inspiration I needed to get this out so fast. Also very glad you enjoyed the first 2 parts of the Ilfirin Meleth trilogy. Part 3- IMIII: A New Dawn is on a long vacation while I'm in the mood for some Sirius fic, but it will return one day. One day. Have 2 chapters written already, if you'd like a quick read, again just email and I'll send. Cheers.

**Marz1:** Thanks for your honesty. I agree with your view on categories, so I changed it over to Romance. As far as the other stuff goes, however misguided they might be, I have my reasons for making certain decisions-

With the extremely passive characterisation of Dawn, I said that from the start she was going to be weaker than what we are sued to, and although she will evolve it is going to take her some time. It's a whole new world, and I wanted to show how scary that could be for a girl who was seen as the useless one in Season 5 of Buffy. She does have a temper, but she's still a little gun-shy for letting it fly, and in the end of season 5 and through season 6, in my view, Dawn became a klepto as a means of seeking attention. She has no need to steel at Hogwarts- she has people paying more attention to her than ever before and she is given everything she could possibly need or want, if not by Dumbledore then by her friends. The graphic make-out sessions are part of a new style of writing I am playing with (and the reason I rated this story R). I knew when I started that some (maybe many) people wouldn't like it, so I'll put you down as a negative vote for the hot and heavy scenes. Yay for the villain, I've been meaning to work him into the foreground since, like, chapter 4... and they might not have any choices but to fight evil ;-) Although Dawn will probably not be becoming an Animagus (I don't really like the idea, I've read fics where Lily is an Animagus just like James and it kind of annoys me, so I doubt I'll be treading that path myself.) thanks for your time.

**Darkest Melody:** Love the name! Updated as soon as I could! And yes there are many cold showers in the offing for Sirius...

**phoenix83ad**: Thanks for another lovely big review! Poor dolt-ish Sirius, I'm sure he'll get there one day. And it's a good thing you're finding my Wormtail tolerable, I hate him with a vengeance but I am trying to be fair to his younger character... he wasn't always evil... he might not remain so innocent here either... Glad I managed to work the Joss Whedon style fake-out on you, and as far as Malfoy goes... read on, read on. Summers women are very protective of family, even their adopted ones, and you've hit the nail right on the head when you presume that if Sirius is Harry's Godfather, then Dawn will have a complementary title of the sort... the sequel goes into this in greater detail.

**SiriusEarendil:** Hope you enjoyed the teasers for the sequel... updated as soon as I possibly could, I wrote and typed like a _machine _these past 3 days!

**Mademoiselle Morte:** Glad to hear you're getting along with your very own Dawn/Marauder creation, and I'd definitely love to hear from you when you've got something ready to go. Please do email me, I'm interested in what new perspectives you might bring to the D/M mix. Good luck and happy writing!

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

**Forsaken**

Three boys awoke to the sound of running water, though by now they were more than used to the sound. James tossed a quick smirk at Remus and Peter as they all tumbled out of their beds.

"I think Padfoot's trying to see if he can drain the lake dry," he commented.

"I'm sure Hogwarts will eventually run out of cold water," Remus replied drolly. "Shall I do the honours?"

"Go right ahead, Moony," James said graciously, taking out a long scroll of parchment and tossing it to the werewolf. Remus unfurled it and scribbled out the date and the time at the end of a long list of recorded dates and times, and added a mark to the tally in the bottom corner.

"I don't understand," Peter admitted reluctantly as he rummaged in the jumble of clothes in his drawers for a set of robes that would pass the sniff test. "Why is Sirius taking so many cold showers?"

"Because all he can think about is getting laid, and the fact that the poor bloke isn't getting any is driving him crazy," James explained bluntly. Remus shot him a 'how tactful of you' look.

"Oh, ok then," Peter said happily, now stuffing a few books and a quill into his bag.

Remus frowned at the other Marauder's apparently pleased reaction to the confirmation that Sirius and Dawn's relationship remained for the most part innocent, but said nothing. The bathroom door slammed open and Sirius stomped out, his lips tinged blue and his teeth chattering slightly.

James' smirk was so deep it was almost a strain on his facial muscles to hold it. But he managed. ""Something wrong with the hot water again, Padfoot?" he enquired innocently, hoisting his bag over his shoulder.

James turned to the door, but something large and heavy collided with him. He tumbled painfully to the floor under a mass of thick, black fur and with two large paws hitting him squarely in the chest. James' head whipped up, his gaze zeroing in on the growling dog his best friend had morphed into.

"Right then, let's go."

Padfoot charged again, but instead of bearing down on James, he was met with the hazel-eyed stag. Peter and Remus scrambled back out of the war zone as Padfoot and Prongs began to wrestle around the dorm, knocking the furniture and messing up the beds as they played. It was only when Remus noticed the time for their first class of the day drawing near that the animal skirmish ended. James and Sirius reappeared as themselves, panting and laughing a little even as they shouldered their bags and followed Remus and Peter down in search of breakfast.

They found the girls in their year at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, all already almost finished with their own breakfast. "Alarm clocks," Dawn hinted significantly at James with a knowing grin.

"Don't make me practice my Silencing Charms on you," he warned good-naturedly.

Dawn giggled. "I thought you didn't need the practice. Besides, Sirius will protect me," she told him in all confidence while Sirius grinned his confirmation.

"Please don't ruin my appetite. It's not often we get a chance for an actual sit-down breakfast," James returned blandly as he heaped the bacon onto his plate.

Dawn was laughing, though when she looked up, her laugh died and her smile disfigured itself into a grimace of discomfort. Lucius Malfoy was leering at her. She watched with a disturbed sort of compulsion as Malfoy arched a suggestive eyebrow and sliced his knife violently through his egg. She shuddered and tore her gaze away.

Remus' eyes hardened as he picked up on Dawn's discomfort. He knew exactly where to look for the source of Dawn's trouble, his gaze locked onto the cold silver-grey glare of Malfoy. Isabel squeezed his arm when she noticed her boyfriend's quiet anger. His little threat hadn't warned Malfoy off at all: Dawn would need to be watched like a hawk now for her own safety.

The Hall slowly emptied as students began to move off to their classes. The Gryffindors took to the halls, unfortunately finding themselves walking behind a group of Slytherins led by none other than Bellatrix Black. The dark-featured girl glanced over her shoulder and, spotting the groups stuck walking behind hers broke into a malicious smile.

"Have you heard?" Bellatrix said loudly to her followers. "That attack on the muggle family was a mere appetiser for what the Dark Lord's got planned for the filth of the world."

"Here we go," James muttered under his breath. Dawn had already grabbed Sirius' wrist to restrain him... not that she actually had the strength to hold him back if he really decided to throw his weight around.

"Apparently having his min put two of those pathetic Aurors in St Mungo's really motivated the Dark Lord, now he's intent on ridding the face of the earth of all the Mudblood whores who refuse to accept their place. You know, like Summers," Bellatrix concluded snidely, tossing a contemptuous sneer back at Dawn for effect.

"Hang out with Voldemort a lot, Bella?" Dawn scowled, though she hadn't quite spoken loud enough for the Slytherin's to hear. A couple had heard her voice murmur something and turned around to glare, but an angry glare from James and Sirius had them turning away again.

"Probably," Sirius muttered in reply to Dawn's question, his harshest death glare aimed at his cousin. Dawn tugged at his sleeve to regain his attention.

"Forget it. They're not even creative enough to come up with anything new to insult me with. Just forget it," she urged as they turned to take a different path.

"Right," Sirius agreed reluctantly. He didn't want to forget it, he wanted to hex his cousin's fat, dirty mouth shut. Permanently. But at Dawn's request he made himself let it go for now and changed the subject. "Wear something warm tonight," he said abruptly.

Dawn started at the sudden snap between moods. "Huh?"

He grinned. "I want to show you something after dinner. But we can't go too early, and it'll be cold later tonight."

"Why?" Dawn frowned. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Tell me."

"Kiss me."

Dawn perked up. "If I do, will you tell?"

Sirius smirked enigmatically. Dawn pouted in defeat and stomped on ahead with Lily. Every class of the day, as well as every meal was frequently disturbed by a whiny voice and a pleading "Tell me," immediately followed by the reply challenge of "Kiss me." Every other Gryffindor in the tower breathed a sigh of relief and basked in the peace when at last Dawn and Sirius, he in his winter cloak and she in the jacket they'd picked out in muggle London, slipped out of the tower and into the hallway.

"Ok, where-?"

"Shh," Sirius covered her mouth with his hand, eyes alight with mirth. "Let's just go before Filch spots us."

Big blue eyes glared over the hand that swallowed most of her face until it was taken away to clasp at her own. Without so much as a word of warning Sirius took off through the castle, forcing Dawn to trail after him. She was thankful for her long legs, the only reason she had a hope in hell of keeping up. Through the darkened corridors and stairways Sirius led the chase, the patter of their feet echoing softly around them. Both were panting slightly as Sirius finally allowed them to slow to a walk for the last sets of stairs leading up to the roof of the castle.

For a moment Dawn thought Sirius was taking her up to the Astronomy tower where they'd shared their first kiss, but at the last moment he turned aside and up a small off-shooting set of stairs in a stone tunnel. At the top was a thick wooden door, which Sirius shoved open after tossing a quick wink over his shoulder at Dawn. He stepped back, on his most gentlemanly behaviour as he ushered Dawn into what was evidently one of the castle's turrets. He pulled the door closed behind them.

"Oh my God!"

"I know. My favourite place in the whole castle," Sirius grinned, wrapping an arm about his girlfriend's waist.

Dawn could easily see why Sirius loved the Observatory so much, at first sigh she'd just fallen in love with it too. Much like the Great Hall, the ceiling was as the sky. But unlike the Great Hall, the roof of the Observatory was not merely charmed to reflect what was going on in the sky, it was completely transparent and magnified the stars until Dawn felt she could reach up and touch them. A blanket had been spread over the floor, a picnic basket settled on one corner, a ways beyond it was another wooden door.

"Telescopes storage," Sirius explained before Dawn had to ask. "Here, sit down."

There was a warming spell over the Observatory, and out of the chill of the draughty castle halls Dawn slid out of her jacket and Sirius shed his cloak before they settled on the blanket. Sirius reached into the picnic basket and extracted two goblets and a bottle of pumpkin juice, expertly pouring the liquid and handing one goblet to Dawn.

"Cheers."

"Cheers."

Sirius grinned and hooked an arm about Dawn's neck, drawing her closer to him. In a companionable silence they slowly drained their drinks and set them aside. They settled back against the blankets, looking up at the stars so bright the room needed no other illumination. Sirius pointed at a cluster of stars.

"Delphinus, the dolphin," his other hand stroked her hair.

Dawn shifted her head against his chest so she could get a clearer view. "I don't know the real names, Tara only taught me her way of doing it. Show me more?" her arm twisted up so she could lazily scratch his chin.

"That's the plan, Kitten. There's the constellation Andi was named after- the Princess Andromeda."

"Story?"

Sirius moved his finger from the one star cluster to another, and then a third. "Her parents, Ethiopian royalty. Queen Cassiopeia was really vain, she angered the Sea-God Poseidon by saying that she was even more beautiful than the sea nymphs."

"Uh-oh."

"Uh-huh. To save the rest of his Kingdom from being devoured, King Cepheus was forced to sacrifice his only daughter Andromeda to the sea monster Poseidon had sent after them, Cetus," Sirius' finger shifted again.

"That's bad."

"That's where Perseus comes in," Sirius grinned. He pointed at yet a new constellation. "The hero returning from a quest to slay Medusa, spots the Princess and falls in love, as most blokes would do when faced with a half-naked beauty chained to a rock."

Dawn snorted. "Men are so easy."

Sirius pretended not to hear. "He saves the day, slays the monster, rescues the damsel in distress," he concluded. "Happy ending... those are nice."

"Yeah," Dawn twisted to give him her most trusting look. "Baby would you come rescue me if I was chained to a rock as monster bait? 'Cause with my track record, it's not impossible."

"Half-naked?"

She sighed. "Do I have to be?"

He pointed at another star system. "Hey, there's Orion. He's the hunter, you know, and see that really, really bright star at his heel?"

"Hmm? What about it?" Dawn blinked, almost blinded by the dazzle of what was easily the brightest star in the sky.

"Canis Major, a.k.a. the Dog star. That's me up there."

"Yeah, yeah, you're a star. Rub it in then." Something occurred to Dawn. "Do I have a star?"

"You can have the sun," Sirius kissed the top of her head. "Teach me your way of looking at them?"

There was much giggling and shifting as the pair switched positions, Dawn stretching out so that Sirius could rest his back against her, his head tucked under her chin. She began pointing out clusters as he had done for her.

"The Big Pineapple."

"It's big."

"That's the first thing everybody notices. Um... Short Man Looking Uncomfortable."

A snort escaped Sirius. "Maybe it's Flitwick on the day you set his head on fire."

He was kicked surprisingly hard in the back of his leg for the commentary. "I thought we agreed never to bring that up again."

"Sorry, baby."

She huffed, but nevertheless continued the Astronomy lesson, Sunnydale style. "Moose Getting A Sponge Bath."

"Absolutely. Now that you mention it, I'll never understand how people can keep mistaking Moose Getting A Sponge Bath for Pegasus," Sirius agreed.

"You have a turn,' Dawn encouraged sweetly. "What can you see?"

His hair tickled her chin as Sirius tilted his head to try and gain perspective. "Cassiopeia is a bit far-fetched for a Queen on her throne, I've always thought. I'd say it's one of those wind-up boots that kick people up the bum in the muggle cartoons."

"Butt-Kicking Wind-Up Boot. I can see it in all the Astronomy books now," Dawn wrapped her arms around Sirius as best she could, given their current configuration.

"Did I tell you Andi's coming to next Hogsmeade weekend?"

"Only about a dozen times since you got her owl," Dawn shifted nervously. She really wanted to make a good impression on Sirius' favourite cousin. Sirius moved around until he could see her face, conveniently situating himself above her as she lay on the blanket.

"Sorry. I just want you to know there's at least one member of my whole damn family who isn't an evil, prejudiced git. And her boyfriend Ted's alright, too. Andi's just gonna love you," Sirius predicted with a grin.

"I hope so," Dawn replied, twisting the material of his shirt nervously around her fingers.

"Hey," he tangled a hand in her hair. "Of course she will." He leaned down to kiss her, and the stars, Hogsmeade, and the world at large were soon forgotten.

* * *

Dawn frowned at the package left on the end of her bed, the one she'd almost kicked to the floor when she awoke on the morning of the last Hogsmeade visit before Christmas. She looked around, hoping to ask one of the other girls if they'd seen how it arrived, but the curtains were still drawn around the four other beds in the room.

Crawling out from under the covers and sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed, Dawn reached for the package and tore off the note attached.

'_You might need this. Personally, I'd like some new Quidditch gloves (medium size), Moony likes books, Wormtail likes food and Padfoot probably just wants to see you in your knickers (or less)' _

The note was signed with nothing but a little drawing of some antlers, Dawn giggled and lifted the lid of the box. A velvet pouch was settled there, loaded with more galleons than Dawn could count at a glance, with a handful of sickles and knuts for good measure. Dawn gasped, her hand leaping to her throat in alarm. There was far too much money here, it had to be a mistake. She pulled the pouch from the box, intending to send a good portion of the gold right back to where it had come from, when the scrap of parchment in the base of the box caught her eye.

'_Don't even think about it, Kitten.'_

When James stepped into the Common Room with the other Marauders, he was tackled and soundly kissed on the cheek by a mass of squealing energy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Oi," Sirius snapped, waiting for his own tackles and kisses.

James started to laugh. "It was nothing Kitten, really. And Padfoot's getting antsy."

"I am n-"

Dawn kissed him into silence. "Morning," she sang brightly.

"That's better."

"Where are we meeting Ted and Andi?" Peter broke in.

Sirius was forced to turn away from Dawn in order to answer. "In the Three Broomsticks, for drinks. I guess we should get a move on, if we want to get all our shopping done before then."

They headed down for a quick breakfast before making their way into Hogsmeade with the crowd of students. Dawn bristled uncomfortably, feeling the eyes on her back. She whipped around suddenly, but nobody was there.

"Kitten?" Sirius frowned, seeing the bewildered worry on her face.

She shrugged. "It's nothing. I just thought I felt- heard someone behind us. Guess I was just being paranoid..." she trailed into silence.

Remus' eyes narrowed like amber slits sharpened into copper. He waited a few moments, then glanced discreetly over his shoulder. Sure enough, he caught the flash of white-blond hair and a black-clad figure dogging their footsteps through the snow-salted village.

Every shop they went into throughout the morning, Malfoy was never far behind. Dawn found it surprisingly easy to find ways to keep the boys distracted while she purchased James, Remus and Peter's Christmas presents, but Malfoy on the other hand, was relentless. She could feel him every step of the way, though he was smart enough not to reveal himself while Dawn's four bodyguards were present.

It was when she was alone that he would appear, brushing by, hissing threats and insults in her ear, shoving her roughly aside. At one point, Dawn even found her back slammed painfully into the furthest back wall of Honeydukes before she'd even seen him coming. She opened her mouth to yell, but Malfoy only smirked, pinched her thigh painfully, and melted into the crowd.

When she finally rejoined her friends she swore she was only upset because the store was out of those blood lollipops she'd really wanted to have a look at, but Remus wasn't fooled in the least. He opened his mouth to say something as he knew he should've done when he first discovered Dawn's problem, but the pleading stare on Dawn's face fooled him into keeping his mouth closed one more time. Remus sighed and looked away, not at all liking the way one of his dearest friends was so determined to suffer in silence.

"Moony!" Sirius called, exasperated with his werewolf friend who seemed to prefer staring off into space to actually answering someone who'd called his name five times already.

"Sorry, Padfoot?" Remus blinked.

"Could you and Wormtail take the Kitten on to the Three Broomsticks while Prongs and I take care of a few things?" he asked, his gaze shifting pointedly to Dawn and back to Remus again.

"Sure. Dawn, Peter, you two done in here?"

Dawn lifted up her bag of carefully gift-wrapped Honeydukes packages. Peter lifted up his empty chocolate wrapper. Sirius kissed Dawn's forehead and promised they wouldn't be long as Dawn headed off with Remus and Peter, and Sirius and James strode purposefully off down the main street of the village.

The trio pushed into the pub, Remus had a quick look around but couldn't spot Andromeda so they settled into their usual booth to wait. Peter quickly excused himself to go to the bathroom, and the moment they were alone Remus turned on Dawn.

"Why are you still keeping this Malfoy nonsense a secret?" he stared dead into her eyes.

Dawn studied the wood grain of the table as if she'd suddenly developed a fascination with woodwork. "Who do you want me to tell?"

"Sirius. James. Or Lily. Professor McGonagall. Professor Dumbledore," Remus ticked them off on his fingers. "Bloody hell Dawn, you could tell Filch if you wanted! Just tell someone who could help you please, because nobody else knows the danger you're in and I can't always be there to look out for you," he implored.

"What's the point?" Dawn sighed glumly. "I can't tell James and Sirius for the same reason that you won't- if they find out they'll just do something that will get them into a world of trouble. And as if any of the Professors would believe me, especially since I haven't said anything before now. I can't win," she traced the wood dejectedly with a finger.

Remus slapped his hand over hers to stop the movement, Dawn was startled into meeting his gaze. "They'd believe you, Kitten. I'd make sure of it, and then Malfoy would-"

"Actually have a reason to be pissed off with me?" Dawn supplied. "God, he's already bad enough without being provoked. And say they could stop him, what are they gonna do about every other Slytherin in the school gunning for me because of it? I'm apocalyptically screwed, Remus. And I'm not just talking about the little apocalypses, either."

He sat back, scratching his chin. "We'll just have to make damned sure we take good care of you then," he sighed in defeat. "I wouldn't mind teaching you a few good defensive hexes, though."

"I'd like that," Dawn smiled her thanks.

"You'll need it," Remus replied, though he ended the discussion with a small, comforting smile as Peter slid back into the booth next to Dawn.

"What are we talking about?" he squeaked with a grin at the girl beside him.

She shrugged. "I have no idea what to get Sirius for Christmas," she admitted, resting her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand. "And I think we've been through nearly every shop here... I'm about ready to seriously consider making him one of those cards with glitter glue and dried macaroni."

Remus and Peter both laughed. "I'm sure he'd love that. Don't worry Kitten, we've still got the afternoon and I know there's a few good stores you haven't tried yet," Remus patted her hand consolingly.

"As long as one's not a lingerie store," Dawn joked, She noticed the door swing open and sat up straighter when James, Sirius, and a slightly older couple stepped into the pub. "They're hereâ€ do I look ok? Do I look like good girlfriend material?" she hastily patter her hair down.

"You look great," Peter told her enthusiastically, blushing at the grateful smile he'd just earned.

They stood to greet the newcomers, Dawn biting her lip and standing shyly behind Remus in her best attempt at inconspicuousness. She hung back as Remus and Peter took turns hugging the pretty black-haired woman who looked remarkably like a female Sirius. Andromeda Black. When she released Peter, she turned to Dawn with a warm smile.

"You'd have to be Dawn."

Dawn blushed and smiled shyly. "Hello, Andromeda."

She snorted and wrapped Dawn up in a swift hug of her own. "Call me Andi, all my friends do. I've been dying to meet you Dawn, you're practically famous," she gushed.

Dawn stiffened as Andromeda pulled away. "Famous? Me?" Her eyebrows were officially lost in her hairline.

"Well yeah," Andromeda winked. "You're the girl whose kept my dear cousin, Sirius I've-Got-The-Attention-Span-Of-A-Goldfish-I-Change-Girls-Like-I-Change-My-Underwear Black, interested for over a month. I do believe that's a record."

"Andi," Sirius growled, his face slowly turning red. "We discussed his outside"

She just grinned, and Dawn started to laugh. It was kind of amusing to see Sirius getting a taste of his own medicine, considering all the times he'd embarrassed her since they'd met. Dawn was formally introduced to the young man with Andromeda, Ted Tonks, and the crammed back into the Marauders' booth. Dawn found herself sandwiched between the comfortably chatty Andromeda and Peter while James waved Rosmerta over.

"Sirius made me promise to be on my best behaviour before he's let me through the door," Andromeda whispered in Dawn's ear, her voice just loud enough to carry across the table to Sirius' ears. "I've never met one of his girlfriends before, he's never been so serious about a girl before you, and he's worried I'll embarrass him, aren't you, little cousin?" she raised her voice to address Sirius directly, eyes dancing with mirth.

"And-rom-e-da," Sirius' palms were braced flat against the table, his entire body tensed, poised to attack the woman so determined to have his girlfriend laughing at him. Sure enough, Dawn was giggling madly already, clutching at Peter's porky shoulder for support.

Rosmerta sashayed over then, sporting her usual saucy grin. The second she and Dawn spotted each other, the grin vanished and the giggled abruptly froze. Andromeda watched with a raised eyebrow as the girl and the waitress regarded each other warily while the boys barely noticed the shift in the atmosphere.

"First rounds' on me," she chirped brightly when she felt the staring contest had gone one long enough. "Seven butterbeers, please. And don't worry Ted, this isn't like the stuff I gave you that makes you get all giddy and float," she promised as Rosmerta wordlessly left their booth.

"Don't know how you stand her, Ted," Sirius smirked. "She's bloody evil!"

"Actually," Dawn smiled innocently. "I was just thinking how similar you guys are."

Sirius' growl was drowned out by Ted slightly clearing his throat. "Well, about being able to stand her, now that you've brought it up... Andi and I have kind of an announcement to make," he admitted, his gaze straying lovingly to the woman a few seats along.

"No way!" Sirius blurted, shooting an expectant grin at his cousin, who obliged by nodding happily and holding out a diamond-clad hand. "Bloody hell, that's fantastic! Congratulations!" Sirius hurled himself across the table to hug and kiss Andromeda before shaking Ted's hand warmly.

Andromeda shrugged, a fleeting shadow passing over her face as she was showing her ring more closely to Dawn. "Well, the rest of the family weren't so pleased, my parents disowned me and yours blasted me off the family tapestry."

"Worthless gits," Sirius muttered. "You're better off without them, Andi. So have you made any plans yet?" he asked, just to move the conversation to a happier field as Rosmerta reappeared and plopped a try of butterbeers on the table.

Rosmerta opened her mouth to name her price for the drinks, but Andromeda was ready, passing over a galleon and a handful of sickles with a sweet smile. "Keep the change."

She leaned in close to Dawn, so the boys wouldn't overhear her. "I don't much like Rosmerta either, she's a shocking flirt."

"She just doesn't like me because she was flirting with Sirius last Hogsmeade weekend and I, uh... got really jealous and acted like a total cow," Dawn breathed, barely game to speak out loud in case Sirius overheard the confession.

"Good," Andromeda snorted.

The boys had drawn Ted into a conversation about the deeper workings of a Quidditch match, which Andromeda had failed to explain to her muggle boyfriend in detail due to a severe lack of interest in the sport. Sirius glanced over the table to see how his cousin and girlfriend were warming to each other and winced. There was only one thing he'd feared more than an uncomfortable silence between Dawn and Andromeda, and that was the whirlwind of whispering and giggling that was currently going on between the pair.

"I begged her not to talk," he muttered, and Ted clapped him consolingly on the back.

"So you got all your Christmas shopping done?" Andromeda took a sip of butterbeer and indicated the sea of shopping bags they were drowning in.

"All except for the most important one. What do you think I should get for Sirius?" Dawn clutched at the young woman's arm like a lifeline.

"I'm sure we could find something, once we get rid of this lot," she jerked her head at their male companions.

As if on cue, James stood up, closely followed by the other boys. "If you ladies will excuse us, there are important Quidditch stores to be visited."

Sirius shot Dawn a questioning look, but Andromeda shooed him off before he could as if she'd be alright. "Cousin, just bugger off already," she commanded. When Sirius departed with an amused glare, Andromeda arched an eyebrow at Dawn. "Well that was easy. Come on, we've got at least two hours of good shopping time before they get bored of that place."

It was getting late in the afternoon by the time the girls met up with the boys again, Dawn grinning in relief at having finally managed to pick out the perfect Christmas present for Sirius. Andromeda had just smiled and told Dawn Sirius was lucky to have someone like her. She and Ted walked the students back to the gates of Hogwarts, chattering easily the whole way about where they'd all be spending Christmas.

"Maybe next Christmas when we're all settled, you can come and stay at our flat Sirius," she smiled weakly at her cousin. "I don't like the idea of you being stuck at your house for the holidays."

"Pfft, I'm not going there if you paid me a thousand galleons," he declared. "I'm signing up to stay at school the second McGonagall sends her list around."

Andromeda just nodded. Sirius staying at Hogwarts for Christmas was far better than seeing him sent back to his parents with Regulus. "How about you Dawn? Are you seeing any family?"

She closed her eyes a moment, contemplating her first Mom-less, Buffy-less Christmas. "I'm staying at school with Sirius. I don't have any other family."

James shot her a look, but said nothing. His mother had written and casually suggested he invite both Dawn and Sirius home with him for Christmas a little while ago. But James had sent a reply telling his mother that perhaps making too big a deal about Christmas for Dawn's first without her family would upset her, and that Sirius would no doubt be remaining at Hogwarts to take care of her. Andromeda began the round of hugs, holding Dawn a moment longer than she had James, Remus or Peter in order to have a word in her ear.

"It was nice to meet you at last," she whispered. "It's good to know my cousin's got a good girl like you looking after him."

Dawn smiled at the apparent blessing. "Thankyou Andi."

She said goodbye to Ted while Andromeda moved over to wrap Sirius up in a bear hug. Sirius buried his face in her neck, for a moment enjoying the comfort of family who loved him.

"It's good to see you again Andi. Congratulations," he muttered.

She brought her hand up, brushing it through his longish hair in a maternal gesture. "Take care, sweetie. And by the way, you hang onto that girl of yours, you hear me?" she whispered before they separated.

"Count on it," Sirius smirked, looping an arm about Dawn's waist and resting his hand on her hip.

Andromeda and Ted turned and wandered back towards Hogsmeade, the Marauders watched them until they were out of sight before turning and heading up the drive to Hogwarts. The late afternoon was peaceful, and the sunset that framed the castle in a rosy glow was brilliant, but Dawn could not feel quite at ease. She couldn't see him, but behind her she could _feel_ the steps of Lucius Malfoy marking every one of her own.

* * *

"I'm just going to the Library to return a book," Dawn called, waving a book at James and Sirius. "I won't be long."

"You want us to come with?" Sirius asked.

She shook her head. "Nah. Remus'll be back from his Prefects' Meeting soon, you guys wait here for him. Besides, didn't Peter say he'd bring you back some food from the Kitchens?"

They let her go, and it wasn't until Dawn was half way to the Library and feeling the familiar crawling in her skin that she realised she'd made a fatal mistake. She should've taken Remus' concerns more seriously, and she definitely shouldn't have strayed so close to the Slytherin-infested dungeons alone.

"Well look at this- a lonely little Mudblood," the voice Dawn had come to fear and loathe more than anything washed over her like a bucket of ice water.

Dawn turned slowly to face her tormentor, slipping her wand out of her skirt's waistband as she did so. Malfoy had materialised out of nowhere behind her, as he always seemed to when she was at her weakest and was stalking slowly towards her.

"Where are your bodyguards, Summers?"

He prowled forwards. Dawn swished her wand, ready to perform one of the few defensive spells Remus had managed to show her, but the words never made it past her lips. Malfoy pounced, seizing Dawn's wrist and twisting until the stick of wood in her hand clattered uselessly to the ground. Malfoy leaned in very close to her face.

"Did they go and leave you all alone, little Mudblood? All defenceless, and all your warnings spent..."

Dawn made a noise of revulsion as Malfoy ran his tongue slowly along her cheek. She tried to pull away, but he had far too tight a hold on her.

"Let me go!" she burst out, suddenly outraged by the violation.

Malfoy only laughed. He shoved Dawn as hard as he could, and while she was stumbling down the hallway deeper into the net of the dungeons he kicked her wand and book to the side. By the time Dawn had steadied herself, Malfoy was on her again, dragging her forcefully away despite her struggles and little shrieks of terrified protest.

* * *

Peter turned down the hallway, but stopped in his tracks when he realised he'd turned down the wrong one yet again. He paused to mentally retrace his steps and turned to go back the way he came to find the path to Gryffindor tower.

"Stop... no... !"

The voice was fading fast, but it was familiar. Peter peeked down a side corridor, almost afraid of what he would see. His eyes flew wide open in alarm, he let out a little squeak of horror that went unnoticed as he watched Lucius Malfoy forcibly hauling Dawn into one of the little dungeons well out of the way. the slamming of the heavy door that abruptly cut off Dawn's seemingly vain cries for help and mercy jolted Peter into action.

He dropped the bag of food he'd been clutching and ran. He tore through the halls, which everyone else had deserted in favour of dorms and cosy Common Rooms it seemed, puffing like a steam engine but valiantly ignoring the burning tightness in his chest. If he stopped, if he didn't get help now, Malfoy would hurt Dawnâ€ Peter couldn't let that happen.

"Lion's Den," he coughed, stumbling past the Fat Lady and across the Common Room. he practically scrambled up the stairs on all fours and fell through the door to his dorm.

"What do you mean, you let Dawn go to the Library alone!?" Remus was bellowing. "Are you mad!?"

"Moony, what are you so uptight about?" James was asking, then he, like his friends, noticed the way their fourth tumbled into the room.

"Dawn... Malfoy... dungeons," he gasped.

In a microsecond, the other three boys were on him, hustling him out of Gryffindor tower and back the way he'd just come.

"Which way?" Sirius asked, his eyes wide and urgent with fear and anger.

Peter, too out of breath to speak anymore, just pointed and plodded on as quickly as he could. James, Sirius and Remus sped down the corridor he'd indicated ahead, spotted the bag of abandoned food and pelted into the smaller hallway. While Peter lumbered up, they began throwing open doors in the desperate search for their girl.

* * *

She'd screamed, she'd yelled and she'd fought. And then she'd fought some more, but Dawn was bundled into the little dungeon as easily as a rag doll and chained to the wall with the painfully tight manacles slapped on her wrists. She pulled at them, but instead of freedom all she gained was bruised and torn skin on her wrists. Malfoy sent her an oily smile and slid out of his robes. Understanding all too late what was at stake, what exactly Malfoy was about to do to her, Dawn shuddered. A faraway thought floated through her mind- at least vampires just kill you...

"Back off," she snapped, trying not to shake as he closed the distance between them.

"I do hope you realise," Malfoy sneered, ignoring the sound of Dawn's voice completely. "That I'll have to bathe for hours after this... but it will be worth it."

"No... don't... please, no..." Dawn had long ago made herself the promise never to let her enemies see her cry, but her resolve crumbled and her word broke as Malfoy reached out and coldly tore her shirt open. She let out a strangled sob of mortification.

The salty tears streaked down her cheeks relentlessly as Dawn jerked and thrashed desperately, trying to get away from the cold, hurtful hands Malfoy had laid on her body. A wave of longing crashed over Dawn, she was all of a sudden wishing with all her heart that Sirius was with her. Everything about Malfoy was so wrong, the hateful sneer, the intrusive, groping hand. Where was Sirius with his gentle, worshipping touches, the cheekily adventurous hands that let her know every little bit of her he was allowed to touch was a privilege, not a possession?

"Stop," she choked, trying again to free herself but managing only to tear the red-raw skin of hr wrists further.

"Make me stop, Mudblood," a hand snaked up her skirt.

Dawn began screaming as loud as she possibly could, so loud that if dungeons had windows, it'd be raining shattered glass. Fully fledged panic set in as her underpants were yanked roughly down her legs. Malfoy studied the pink, lacy material for a moment.

"I think I'll hang onto these," he stuffed them half into his pocket.

Dawn tried frantically to twist away as Malfoy tugged her skirt up, her screams now a constant wail. A fresh storm of tears flooded down her face as she was pinned to the stone wall, violated by brutal, probing fingers.

"Do shut up, Mudblood. You deserve this," Malfoy told her almost conversationally, his fingers flexing violently. "You thought you could have your little blood-traitors to whore yourself out to and nobody would mind, didn't you? Well you were wrong, and now I punish you for daring to step away from the filth you were born into. I'm going to show you what happens to little whores..."

"Let me go! Please!" Dawn shrieked.

"I do believe I told you to SHUT UP!" Malfoy thundered, abandoning the nipple he'd been twisting in order to deliver a forceful backhand to Dawn's face. He started working his belt loose. "The sooner I teach you this lesson, the better I think."

Dawn started begging shamelessly as Malfoy loosened his pants, but it only earned her another slap to her already stinging cheek. He stepped up close, using a knee to crudely force her legs apart as he prepared to complete his task and inflict the ultimate pain on Dawn Summers and those who had come to care for her.

"You fucking bastard!"

The first arm caught Malfoy around the neck, the second hooked him about the waist and he was tackled off Dawn and to the floor. Both Sirius and James came up swinging, the loud thuds of their fists pounding into flesh echoing throughout the dungeon. Remus burst into the room a moment later, Peter puffing behind him, and hastily took in the scene. James and Sirius had Malfoy on the ground and were well on the way to beating the Slytherin unconscious. Dawn was chained to the wall a few paces from them, half-exposed, her shirt torn, an ugly red welt raising up over her cheek already. She was shaking and crying, Remus' heart went out to her.

He hurried over. The last thing he wanted was to lay his hands all over her, the last thing she needed was to be touched right now, but Dawn's hands were still shackled behind her and she really couldn't be comfortable with her current state of nakedness. Quickly, impersonally, like a doctor with a patient, Remus slid Dawn's skirt back down into place. He stared at a stone in the wall just beyond her head the entire time and drew her shirt over her again. Dawn sobbed.

"Sorry, Kitten," he muttered. A few buttons had been ripped from her shirt and there was a large tear in the material, but Remus fastened it as best he could before joining Peter, who was trying to free Dawn from her chains.

Peter tried an unlocking spell, but nothing happened. Remus tried an unlocking spell, the shackles seemed to loosen just a bit but still held firm.

"Together," Remus suggested. "One... two... three- _Alohomora!_"

The shackles gave out under the power of two simultaneous unlocking charms and sprang open. With nothing left to hold her up, Dawn's knees buckled and she crumpled to the cold floor. Remus and Peter shared a concerned look, the crouched next to her and tried to get her to respond to them, but Dawn had shut down.

She was staring blankly at her attacker, now bloodied and barely conscious on the floor. Sirius and James were punching relentlessly, oblivious to all around them, detached even from the bruising and tearing across their own knuckles as their fists continued to collide with whatever part of Malfoy came within their reach. Remus shook her slightly, but Dawn's only response was to shiver more violently.

Remus' frown deepened. They really needed to get Dawn into the warmth of Gryffindor tower, and quickly. He looked around, but there was only one option.

"Padfoot!"

Sirius, growling incessantly, landed another vicious blow to Malfoy's nose. There was no satisfying crack of a broken bone, but Sirius didn't seem to mind. They'd been rewarded by that sound several times already.

"Padfoot, we need you!... Sirius!"

The sound of his own name finally filtered through to Sirius, his head snapped around to focus on the direction the call had come from. Remus and Peter had freed Dawn and covered her up, but she had been reduced to a sobbing, shivering puddle on the floor. He looked back at the badly beaten Malfoy, running a glare over him one last time. He caught the strip of pink lace hanging out of Malfoy's pocket and snatched Dawn's underwear back.

"I believe these belong to my girlfriend," he snarled and pocketed them.

He turned, ignoring the worn-out groan of his biceps, and scooped Dawn up in his arms. Without a backward glance, he carried her out of the dungeon and back towards Gryffindor tower. His arms were screaming with pain, but Sirius didn't care if they fell off, as long as they fell off after he'd got Dawn back to safety.

"Grab Dawn's wand and her book, and the food you dropped," Remus muttered to Peter, waiting in the doorway for James while Peter scurried off to collect their belongings.

James slowly gained his feet, hazel eyes smouldering with fury as he glared down at Malfoy. "If you ever... _ever_ touch my sister again... if you so much as _look_ at her... they'll be finding bits of your body for weeks, Malfoy. You're damned lucky I'm not cutting your balls off right now, you disgusting bastard."

"Come on, James. Just leave him," Remus called, edging out the door. He'd never heard James' voice so low and menacing before, and the waspish tones were deeply unsettling.

James nodded finally. He followed Remus out of the dungeon without the slightest hint of guilt for leaving Malfoy lying in a puddle of his own blood.

* * *

Lily was curled up on the couch with a book, enjoying the peace of the miraculously deserted Common Room after another long and (she had to admit) fairly boring Prefects' Meeting. She was just beginning to get really drawn into the story when the portrait swung open, shattering the stillness around her.

Gaping and dumbfounded, Lily could only stare as a murderous-looking Sirius Black stormed through the Common Room, a quivering and sobbing Dawn Summers held securely in his arms. He was closely followed up the boys' staircase by the grim faces of Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, with an incensed James Potter bringing up the rear.

Sirius deposited Dawn on his bed as gently as he could. He tried to look her over for injuries, but she clung to him for dear life and refused to let go so Sirius could do little more than hold her and babble soothing nonsense in her ear. James tried to close the door behind him, but it was shoved open by a familiar fiery redhead.

"What's going on?" Lily asked urgently, looking at Dawn's marked and tearstained face in alarm.

Dawn made a choking noise, but could not form an intelligible answer as Sirius slipped around behind her to support her against his chest while he leaned against the headboard.

"Malfoy tried... Malfoy almost raped her," James confided in a low voice.

"Oh Dawn..." Lily rushed over to sit on the side of the bed, holding a hand out to her friend. Dawn hesitated a moment, then leaned eagerly into the threatless comfort of Lily's feminine hug.

Sirius bit his lip and reached out for Dawn in a futile gesture, wanting so badly to hold her and make all her pain evaporate. Lily caught his eye over Dawn's shoulder and saw the storm of helplessness brewing in Sirius' look, she reached out and squeezed his arm supportively. After a minute, Lily pulled back and restored Dawn to the comfort of Sirius' arms. When she noticed the red-raw and broken skin of Dawn's wrists, she hissed slightly.

"I've got some essence of Murtlap in my Potions supplies, it should help with your wrists," she said softly. "I'll go and get it."

"Um, Lily?" Dawn spoke for the first time as the other girl got to her feet. The stain of mortification was all over her face. "Do you think you could, um, bring me some underpants? He... he took mine," her voice was choked with shame.

Sirius was trying not to growl too loudly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of pink material. "And I took them back."

Dawn eyed them with great distaste. "I don't want those ones."

Sirius immediately tossed them out of sight. If Dawn wanted to be rid of the reminder so badly, he'd burn them later. As long as they weren't in Malfoy's hands. Lily simply nodded and left. She returned a few minutes later with a bowl, a jar, and something in her pocket which she slipped discreetly to Dawn. Dawn disappeared into the bathroom and emerged a moment later looking slightly more at ease. Lily had set up the bowl on Sirius' beside table, having shoved most of his mess unceremoniously aside, and had poured the essence of Murtlap in.

"Here, sit down," Lily patted the mattress.

Dawn obeyed and Lily began to clean her wrists before bathing them in the soothing liquid. Sirius stroked her hair the entire time, while the other three boys stood around them like awkward sentinels. Eventually the burning sensation in Dawn's wrists began to subside. Lily turned her attention to the ugly red welt on Dawn's cheek, dabbing a bit of the Murtlap essence over it with the damp cloth Remus offered.

"Ok, you're all done. Black, show me your hands now," Lily ordered.

Sirius frowned, wondering what she was on about until he spared a glance at his hands. Funny, he didn't remember making such a mess of his knuckles. He certainly hadn't felt that pain, he'd been far more aware of his screaming arm muscles. He held out his hands to Lily, who coated the knuckles in Murtlap essence. They all of a sudden felt much cooler.

"Thanks, Tigerlily."

"How many times do I have to ask you not to call me that?" Lily sighed, rolling her eyes and resubmerging the cloth in the bowl's liquid.

"Always one more time, Tigerlily," Sirius quipped, wrapping Dawn securely in his arms.

"Potter, hands," Lily said curtly.

James grinned and sauntered over to sit next to her. "Why, Evans, I never knew you cared."

"I don't. But I might as well use this before I waste it, now sit still," she snapped.

She kept her eyes lowered to her work as she bathed James' knuckles just as she had done for Sirius. It was disconcerting, trying to concentrate with his hazel stare locked so intently on her face, and Lily finished up as quickly as she could.

"Thanks, Evans," he grinned.

She ignored him. "I'm going to clear this mess up, and then I'll bring Professor McGonagall up to talk to you, Dawn."

"Dawn's eyes snapped up to Lily's face, wide and fearful. "No!"

Every other occupant of the room looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. Lily took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Dawn, you've got to report this, it's far too important to just keep to yourself. Malfoy will be expelled. Don't worry, given the circumstances I'm sure McGonagall won't be angry with you for being in the boys' dorms."

"It's not that," Dawn shook her head. "If I tell, then they'll find out about what Sirius and James did to Malfoy, and then they'll get expelled too."

"_That's_ what you're worried about?" Sirius blurted, at the same moment as James made a derisive noise.

"Bloody hell, Kitten! Let them just try to get rid of us!" James burst out. "Even if they did, I don't care. It doesn't matter as long as that bloody animal gets what he deserves."

Lily blinked. Was that James Potter saying something... unselfish?

"No!" Dawn repeated with redoubled vehemence. She'd resumed her death grip on Sirius and was staring pleadingly at James, as if Dumbledore would come along and haul them off at any given moment. "There's so few of us, and a whole House full of Slytherins who'd be out for my blood... You can't leave me, please," she begged.

Lily relented. "I won't come looking for you this weekend," she offered. "If you feel better up here, I won't draw attention to your absence."

"Thanks, Lily," Dawn sniffled.

Lily cleared up her supplies and left, and James chased her out the door. When he returned a few minutes later, the others were explaining to Dawn how they'd managed to find her. She was smiling at Peter in gratitude, and he had gone brick red.

"Come here," she ordered, pulling the chubby Marauder into a tight hug. She felt him squeezing her back just as tight, she heard him take a deep breath against his shoulder before he let her go.

The afternoon wore on, and as evening hit, Remus and Peter offered to go to the Kitchens to pick up dinner so that Dawn wouldn't have to face the entire school in the Great Hall if she didn't feel like it. Dawn was left settled between her two primary defenders, Sirius and James, each sparing a glance in her direction every other minute, as if needing to be reassured that she really was safe.

"Is there anything you need, baby? Anything I can do?" Sirius asked, his fingers laced tightly through hers.

Dawn looked up hopefully. "I could use a shower. I feel so dirty," she mumbled. James took her free hand.

Sirius got up and rummaged through his drawers. He pulled out a long-sleeved, button-down shirt and a pair of track pants, taking them into the boys' bathroom. A few minutes later, he emerged and beckoned Dawn over. She went over and stepped into the bathroom.

"I left you a clean towel," Sirius pointed. It had taken him three minutes just to find one that wasn't damp and crumpled and a little smelly from a life on the floor. Dawn looked up at him but couldn't quite bring herself to smile. He cupped her chin. "It's ok baby, we'll be right outside."

Dawn nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later, Sirius and James, still both sprawled on Sirius' bed, heard the water begin to run.

"I told Evans to tell McGonagall," James admitted suddenly.

"Good," Sirius replied, his eyes never leaving the outside of the bathroom door.

James breathed a sigh of relief, glad his best friend shared his point of view. Better the two of them in more trouble than they'd even been in before than Malfoy actually getting away with what he'd done. And if they had to sneak back onto the grounds every month for Remus' transformation, then so be it. "She's gonna go to her in the morning and bring her up to talk to the lot of us after breakfast," he relayed.

Sirius nodded, his gaze falling to the floor. "Yeah... I guess it wouldn't do any good to be at her tonight."

The two friends lapsed into silence, listening to the rhythmic drum from the shower in the next room. Finally, the flow of water ceased, but after several minutes Dawn still hadn't emerged. James and Sirius exchanged frowns. Both understood about the unnatural fixation all women seemed to have with bathrooms, but the minutes were ticking by a little too far and fast for their liking.

Sirius began to pace up and down before the bathroom door. "How long has she been in there since she shut the water off? What's she doing, air-drying?" he asked, more to himself than James.

"Fifteen minutes," James supplied anyway.

Sirius whirled one final time, stalking right up to the door. He hesitated, then knocked a couple of times. "Kitten?"

No response.

"Dawn?"

If he pressed his ear right up to the door, he could just make out a faint sniffling sound.

"Are you alright in there?"

Sirius heard a snorting sound, like Dawn had a runny nose but couldn't find a tissue. Girls never seemed to accept the fact that tissues and toilet paper were made out of exactly the same stuff. He knocked again.

"I'm coming in," he warned, unable to bear the wait any longer.

This time, he received an actual response in the form of a small, watery voice. "Ok."

Sirius slowly pushed the door open to go to his girlfriend's side.

* * *

Dawn sighed, snuggling into Sirius' chest. The boys' dorm was deserted apart from the two of them; the others had gone to return their dinner things to the Kitchens and, Dawn suspected, plant dungbombs in the dungeons surrounding the Slytherin quarters. Sirius pressed his lips briefly to her soft hair.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah," Dawn twisted up to look into his handsome face. "I guess."

A flash of anger, like a bolt of lightning stormed through Sirius' eyes. It made his stomach turn, the things Lucius Malfoy had tried to do to his girlfriend... his filthy snake hands all over her pure, beautiful skin. Trying to take what Dawn was neither ready nor willing to give. "You must've been so scared," he whispered his realisation

"In more ways than one," Dawn responded. Immediately, she clamped her mouth shut and coloured as if she'd said too much. She tried to turn her face away, but Sirius cupped her chin in his hand and forced her to look up at him, try as she might to avoid his gaze.

"What does that mean, Dawn?"

Dawn bit her lip, apparently working up the courage to speak. When she finally did, it was with much stammering and blushing that Sirius always found curiously endearing.

"Well it was just, uh, I was all alone, and scared... powerless, there was nothing I could do, but... um, then somewhere in the back of my mind, I... I couldn't help but realise..." Dawn met Sirius' curious gaze, a calm evenness forced into her voice as she finished. "That I wouldn't have had such a problem with it if those were your hands."

There was a moment of stunned silence during which Sirius processed the implications of Dawn's words. Then, his face breaking into a huge grin, he leaned down to give her a swift kiss.

"Well then I guess we'll have to test that theory," he breathed in her ear.

* * *

end chapter 


	17. Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appe...

**Disclaimer:** Own it just as much as I did last chapter, or the chapter before. Which is none. The dream at the start is adapted from the season 6 Buffy episode 'Dead Things', sort of. 'Objects In the Rear View Mirror' is by Meatloaf.

**A/N:** Have to apologise for how disorganised these last couple of chapters and one-shots have been, but after this things will get back on track. Thanks for reviewers of one-shots, too.

**VERY IMPORTANT INFO:**

This chapter refers to events in the one-shot 'Hands' so I hope you've all read it. If not, to sum up, after the events of 'Forsaken', things got a little heated between Sirius & Dawn resulting in some 3rd base action. 'Objects' deals with the fallout of said rashness in a pretty heavy way. Again, I promise things will get back on track, and hopefully this should put all you readers' (who very rightly suggested that things were moving too fast between Dawn & Sirius post almost-rape) minds at ease that the issues are being dealt with properly. And the dream sequence at the beginning of 'Objects' is a mixture of Dawn's on mind and the dream sequence Buffy has after thinking she's killed Katrina in the Season 6 episode 'Dead Things', only I tweaked it a little. Obviously I had to

**Reviewers:**

Many of you have asked questions about what characters are thinking & feeling & what things might happen further down the track. I'm a notorious spoiler, so in the interest of keeping readers interested and not knowing every singly little thing I have planned, let's just say a lot of you are not so very far from the truth.

**Big thanks!**

**Sonofgloin, Christa, Mademoiselle Morte, Lunawolf, Raclswt, Phoenix83ad, Eleclya111, Beachgurl2005, the Summer Princess, CodeName Targeter, ChibiChibi, Yoshocrow, Crazy-VampireSlayer, Halric the Harmless**

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

**Objects in the Rear View Mirror (May Appear Closer Than They Are)**

_Dawn was naked, laid out and handcuffed with her arms held high above her head. She let her head roll to the side, peering through the darkness in confusion at the stripy green wallpaper. What was she doing in Buffy's room?_

_She made a small noise of apprehension when she realised she wasn't alone. Dawn moaned and writhed in pain and humiliation as Buffy straddled and abused her. She tried to cry out, but all that she could muster was a few strangled whimpers as Buffy disappeared, only to be inexplicably replaced by a just as hurtful Spike._

_At length, both Buffy's room and Spike faded, Dawn found herself still naked and handcuffed, sprawled on the ground out in the open. She vaguely recognised the area as the woods not too far from Spike's crypt. There was a girl lying next to her. About Buffy's age. Pretty. Long brown hair. Eyes wide open and empty. Buffy had appeared again, Dawn had a sudden vision of her accidentally striking the girl with a fatal blow as the Slayer loomed over the dead girl and stared down at her._

_"Do you trust me?"_

_The girl flickered into a shirtless Spike, before resuming her usual form as Buffy brought a stake down with all her unnatural strength. It slammed straight into the girl's heart._

_"No...!"_

_At the sound of Dawn's horrified cry, Buffy turned to stare at her. She ran a contemptuous glare over the exposed, abused body of her little sister and smirked. And then everything was fading into blackness._

_The dungeon again. Malfoy on her this time, and nobody coming to her rescue. Dawn moaned in pain and squeezed her eyes shut tight against it. The stone floor was cold. coarse against her back. The atmosphere and weight around her shifted into something more painfully familiar, and Dawn's eyes opened against her will._

_She gasped._

_Sirius._

_He was on top of her, staring down into her with a horribly unreadable expression. His movements were relentless. Dawn started to cry._

_"Stop, please," she begged._

_He kept going. She thrashed madly against him, but her efforts were useless. Her hands were still cuffed and Sirius was keeping them held high above her head. Keeping her helpless and defenceless. He just arched an eyebrow at her._

_"Do you trust me?"_

_She sobbed harder. "No."_

* * *

James and Sirius both awoke as the girl in between them on the bed started throwing herself about and moaning horribly. Somehow, miraculously, Peter was still asleep, curled at the foot of the bed like a spoilt pet. Dawn had even kicked out at him a couple of times, but still the boy snored on in oblivion. Remus had pulled a chair up to the bedside as if he intended to spend the night watching over them, but he'd propped his feet up on the side of the bed and looked as if he'd fallen asleep hours ago.

Dawn was still moaning and writhing, her face screwed up with pain and leaving the boys with little doubt as to the experience she was reliving.

"Should we wake her?" Sirius asked. He laid a hand on Dawn's sweaty forehead as she whimpered beneath him, her hands stretched high above her head as if she believed she couldn't move them.

"I don't think so," James hissed back. "Doesn't Madam Pomfrey always say it's best to leave these things to run their course when you can, or they just get worse the longer you put them off?"

Sirius looked away. If he had to watch his girlfriend reliving her attempted rape through her nightmares for any longer, he wouldn't be able to stand it. He'd have to wake her up. James stared down at Dawn, wishing to Merlin there was something he could do to help her out. In the end he settled on pinning her shoulders to the mat so she couldn't thrash about so much. She was going to hurt herself.

"No...!"

Sirius snapped his gaze back to her. James yanked his hands away guiltily. It took him a minute to realise she was reacting to something within her dream, not to his touch. Dawn's face now held such a deep look of pain that both boys were seriously reconsidering their agreement to not wake her up.

When she let out a gasp of shock and horror, Sirius started shaking her regardless of James' warnings. He wasn't going to let her suffer and do nothing. But Dawn could not be woken. Tears flowed down her face, and the boys could do nothing but wipe them away while in her sleep Dawn begged for the end of her torture.

Dawn was thrashing about wildly, straining against an invisible force. Her feet pounded into Peter's back several more times, but still he did not wake. Dawns started crying harder, then choked on a final heartbreaking word.

"No."

And as suddenly as it had begun, it was all over. Dawn became quiet and still, only the tear tracks down her cheeks remained as evidence of her nightmare. Dawn's face was permanently pinched into a frown, though, and her arms were still stretched up towards the headboard. Sirius and James shared another look.

"I think it's over for now," James muttered.

Sirius' look sharpened at the use of the phrase 'for now'. He reached up and pulled Dawn's arms down to rest more comfortably at her sides, keeping one of her hands held firmly in both of his. James rearranged the covers over the three of them and at length the two boys let sleep overtake them once more.

* * *

Dawn's eyes sprang open wide, she found herself staring at the ceiling of the boys' dorms and feeling strangely crowded. She shifted her gaze slightly to one side. James was fast asleep next to her. A little ways beyond him she could see Remus passed out on a bedside chair. She glanced down and realised Peter was curled at the foot of the bed, sleeping at her feet. Finally, Dawn turned her head to the other side, already knowing she would see Sirius, both his hands still clutching at one of hers even as he slept.

Her stomach clenched painfully as she looked at him. She felt a stab of horrified regret for how involved she'd let things get between them last night. The images and sensations of it all were stampeding through her min, mingling with her nightmare and the memory of Malfoy's attack until Dawn could no longer keep the three experiences separate in her head.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she forced them back. Dawn pulled her hand free, silently begging all the Gods and Goddesses not to let Sirius wake, and sat up. James mumbled something about the onion rings conspiring against him, but rolled over and kept sleeping contentedly. Dawn looked around the lightening room, her hands clutching self-consciously at the neckline of Sirius' shirt. Her mind was plagued by the memory of how easily those buttons had been unfastened, and what a seemingly simple movement it had been for her to pull it back and let it fall from her shoulders. The confused, mortified tears welled again.

She cringed in shame, her eyes darting around the bed in a futile search for escape. She was surrounded. Her gaze strayed longingly to the protective cover of the track pants she'd left on Sirius' bedside table, but there was no way of reaching them without waking Sirius and Dawn didn't know if she could face him just now. She was still wondering how she was going to get herself free without any of the boys noticing when one of them stirred. He twisted to look up at her.

"Morning, Dawn."

"Oh, hey Peter," she returned, shifting uncomfortably under his look.

He yawned and sat up. "Ow, I've got a horrible sore back," he tried to stretch it out. "Kept dreaming I was being attacked by a kick boxer. Oh well, must've slept on it wrong."

Dawn faked a smile. "Um, Peter? Do you think you could get up and, um, hand me those pants? I'm sort of trapped here and I... really need to go to the bathroom," she lied.

"Sure," he bounced up eagerly to fulfil her request.

"Thanks," Dawn pulled the track pants under the covers with her so she could work them on modestly. Peter watched with fascination. How she was managing to put a pair of pants on, in bed, sitting under the covers and without waking the two boys slumbering on either side of her was beyond him.

Finally covered, Dawn crawled out from under the bedclothes and down to the end of the bed. She practically bolted past Peter to take sanctuary in the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her. She leaned heavily on the basin, staring hard into the mirror. It was strange, she didn't look any different than she had yesterday morning. But she felt different. Soiled, somehow.

A few of the tears that had been welling off and on since she awoke fell from her eyes. Dawn sniffled quietly and swiped at the little droplets, afraid that if she cried too loudly she'd draw unwanted attention to herself. Dawn looked away from the mirror, offended by her own reflection. She'd been so stupid to think that if she let Sirius touch her it would somehow take away the filthy branding Malfoy had given her.

It had all seemed to simple in the cover of darkness, but the morning sun that now spotlighted her seemed harsh and accusing. Dawn felt doubly used, and ashamed because she'd not only let it happen, she'd welcomed and encouraged it. She reached for the plug and wrenched at the tap, allowing cold water to fill the basin. Dawn plunged her face into it, pulling back only when dire need for oxygen forced her to. She repeated the process several more times, taking comfort in the cold burning of frigid water against her skin.

When she stepped back into the dorm several minutes later, the boys were all awake and dressed. Dawn found their state of consciousness a little strange, considering it was still quite early on a Saturday morning, but said nothing of it. maybe she'd slammed the bathroom door too hard and woken them all or something. She wasn't sure if she was merely losing her mind and imagining things, or if James had just shot a guilty look at her.

"Morning Kitten," the boys called. They were acting normally. Too normally, their almost forced ease immediately put Dawn on edge.

Sirius walked over and tried to hug her. Dawn flinched at the contact, giving him only a moment before pulling forcefully away. She didn't look at him, didn't want to see if there was hurt in his eyes, or if he'd even noticed her sudden aversion to having him touch her.

"So you guys are up early," she commented, curling up in the chair Remus had slept in.

Remus arched an eyebrow at her. "Well I know you think that chair is pretty comfy right now, but you just try and spend a whole night in it. I don't know if my backside will ever recover."

"I'm sure Isabel will kiss it better," James remarked casually. A blushing werewolf smacked him in the back of the head with a pillow.

Grinning, James readjusted his glasses and handed Dawn the sweatshirt he'd been digging out of his drawers. Dawn took it and a few things from her own pile of clothing, as always folded on Sirius' bedside table, and disappeared into the bathroom once more. She freshened up as much as she could and tugged on James' cosy sweater. A few minutes later, she'd been bundled back onto Sirius' bed, curled up in the middle while the four boys sprawled around her. Sirius touched her face and Dawn looked away, biting her lip.

"I don't think that's going to bruise," he said, studying the slightly faded red welt on her cheek. He leaned over to kiss her, and half a moment later Dawn was shrugging him off.

"Maybe I should get back to my own dorm," she made to scoot off the bed, but the boys held her back. They didn't want her escaping before McGonagall came, since she'd made it clear yesterday she wouldn't be reporting Malfoy's attack herself.

"Stay a little longer Kitten, it's still early. For us?" Remus pleaded and Dawn relented, allowing them to watch over her for a while longer.

Dawn jumped at the sudden brisk knock at the door. A moment later, it swung open and Professor McGonagall stalked in. Dawn turned a half-panicked stare to the boys, thinking she'd been caught out of bounds, but none of them looked either surprised or concerned at the Professor's arrival.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow at the group all crammed onto Sirius' bed, but said nothing of it. "I was told there was a situation here that needs reporting?"

"Lily..." Dawn realised, feeling a stab of betrayal. Lily had given her word that she'd help conceal the beating Sirius and James had given Malfoy.

"No, Kitten. It was me," James admitted without hesitation. "I asked her to tell for us. I know you're worried about all this other stuff, but what happened to you is more important than that, so please just tell her, ok?"

Dawn looked down. Did they really expect her to say the words out loud? How could they even ask her to? Dawn didn't think she could bear the further humiliation, hadn't she been exposed enough already? She opened her mouth, then closed it and shook her head. She couldn't say it.

"If you won't tell her, I will," James pressed. Dawn stared up at him with pleading eyes, and at last he understood. "Do you want me to, Kitten?"

She nodded.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Potter! Just spit it out and tell me why I should be taking Miss Evans' advice and not punishing Miss Summers for being in the wrong dormitory. What is going on?" McGonagall demanded impatiently, not at all liking the uneasy glances passing between her students.

"Well, Lucius Malfoy tried to rape her yesterday afternoon," James replied, forcing the words out in a rush and wincing as Dawn blanched at the crudeness of the statement.

"My goodness!" a slightly wrinkled hand flew to McGonagall's throat. She levelled her piercing stare at Dawn. "Miss Summers, is this true?"

Dawn nodded again. Sirius tried to take her hand but she shrugged away from the contact. He frowned as his hand fell back to his side. She'd done that a few times already this morning. McGonagall absently took a seat in the chair still left by the bedside.

"These are serious charges, Miss Summers. I need to be sure you're very clear about such an alleged incident," she began. She got no further, cut off by a heated, indignant voice.

"She's not lying! The slimy git chained her to the wall! Go on, look at her wrists," Sirius snapped, glaring at McGonagall like an overprotective guard dog.

The Professor glared right back at her insolent student, though she held out a hand to take one of Dawn's and inspect the bruised and red-raw wrist. In less than a heartbeat, she was on her feet and nodding curtly. "Professor Dumbledore will need to speak with each of you at once. Please come with me," she said. It was not a request.

They all piled off Sirius' bed. Dawn glanced down at herself. She was still only dressed in James' sweater and Sirius' track pants from the night before, both items of clothing were looking as rumpled as she felt.

"Um, Professor, can I just-" she indicated her attire.

"Of course, Miss Summers," McGonagall allowed.

Sirius immediately offered to wait for her, but Dawn was shaking her head almost before he'd even finished speaking. When he argued there was no chance in hell he was leaving her alone, McGonagall interrupted, announcing that Dawn would need to bring Lily with her anyway. Dawn practically bolted from the room.

She spent a few minutes in the comfort of the bathroom in her own dorm, freshening up and pulling on a pair of jeans and a clean sweater of her own. Lily was waiting for her when she stepped back into the main room of the dorm.

For a long moment the two girls just stared at each other, their expressions unreadable. Then Dawn surprised Lily by hugging her tightly.

"Thanks," she mumbled into a mass of dark red hair. "You did the right thing."

Lily just tightened her hold. "If you need anything, I'm here," she reminded Dawn. They separated and headed out the door. A moment later, Dawn flew back in and snatched up a stray set of robes to throw over her clothing, almost like a protective shield from the world.

They walked to Dumbledore's office, Dawn's stomach churning with fear the entire way. She didn't know exactly what was going to be expected of her now, but she did feel that it wasn't going to be pleasant. And then of course, along with everything else, was the incessant underlying fear that she was about to lose both Sirius and James. She felt Lily rest a hand on her arm, then the two girls stepped into the outer room of Dumbledore's office, where McGonagall and the boys were waiting.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk, a quill and parchment at the ready. His Deputy Headmistress had bustled in a few minutes earlier, completely flabbergasted and horrified that she had four boys in the waiting room and two girls on their way, who had information regarding the attempted rape of one student by another which would require his immediate attention. He'd listened to the story and asked McGonagall to kindly let him know when Miss Evans and Miss Summers arrived.

There was a brisk knock at the door, a moment later McGonagall popped her head in, awaiting instruction.

"Send Miss Evans in, please."

Lily stepped into the office and took the seat that was offered to her. Dumbledore gave her a reassuring look. "Well, Lily? What would you like to tell me about all this?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Professor, I don't know all that much to be honest. I was in the Common Room when Black carried Dawn in, I followed them and the rest of the boys up to their dorm. When I asked what was going on, they said Malfoy had tried to rape her."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "What evidence could you see to support this?"

"A mark on her face, like she'd been hit, and it looked like she'd been chained up because her wrists were all bloodied and bruised. I had to, um, bring her some new underwear because Malfoy had taken hers. Black pulled them from his pocket, said he took them back but Dawn didn't want anything to do with those ones anymore."

"What did you do then?"

Lily shrugged. "I got the underwear and some essence of Murtlap to patch Dawn up. Then I said I was going to tell Professor McGonagall and she got really upset and begged me not to."

Dumbledore looked curious at that. "Why?"

"Well she didn't want to get Black and Potter into trouble," she explained. "From the looks of their knuckles before I cleaned them up a bit, they gave Malfoy a pretty horrible beating. I guess Dawn was afraid that if she reported Malfoy, then her friends would have to be punished for assaulting him, too. But Potter followed me out the door and asked me to report it first thing this morning anyway."

"I see," said the Headmaster. "Thankyou Lily. Please send in Mr Pettigrew."

Lily left, and a moment later Peter walked in, practically falling into the chair the Prefect had vacated. He began to squeak out a nervous statement before Dumbledore could even request it.

"Sir, I saw him taking her. He shoved her and dragged her into one of the dungeons... I didn't know what else to do, Sir, so I ran for my friends."

"Always a wise thing to do," Dumbledore commented. "Our friends can be our greatest source of protection sometimes. Please continue."

"Well we ran back down to the hall, James and Sirius and Remus were faster than me, Sir. They were throwing open doors all down the hall. Then I heard Sirius yell and they all ran into one of the dungeons," Peter squeaked. "By the time I got there, James and Sirius had tackled Malfoy off Dawn, and Remus was covering her up again. I tried to unlock the chains, but I couldn't so Remus and I had to do it together."

"And may I ask, to avoid any confusion later, what were you doing in that part of the castle in the first place?" Dumbledore queried.

Peter flushed deep pink. "I, er, got lost," he admitted.

The Headmaster stared appraisingly at the boy before deciding he could well believe it. "Quite understandable, Mr Pettigrew. I'd like to speak to Mr Lupin next."

Remus sat down and waited for the questions to come. Dumbledore listened to his simple, direct and honest replies with some interest. "So you were in your dorm with Mr Potter and Black when Mr Pettigrew came in?" he prodded, to clarify the details.

Remus nodded. "Yes, Sir. I'd just got back from the Prefects' Meeting with Lily... I couldn't believe they'd let Dawn go off like that alone. I should have said something, I'm so sorry," he groaned, putting his head in his hands.

Dumbledore stared, perplexed by the apparent admittance of guilt. "Remus, my boy, you have nothing to feel sorry for. How could you have known something like this would happen?"

Remus straightened, turning a shamed glance to his Headmaster, the man who had given him chances at life he should never have expected. "I knew," he confessed. "I knew Malfoy was after her, knew what he was capable of... he's been hounding her since she got here but she wouldn't say anything. She begged me not to. I should have forced her to!"

"And that would've shaken her trust in you," Dumbledore countered. "Instead of feeling used by an enemy, she'd have felt used by a friend. Dawn will eventually recover from this ordeal, and that much quicker if she still feels she has a friend like you to confide in. She needs you to be her friend, Remus, not to be caught up in your own guilt. If that is all, I'd like to see Mr Potter please," Dumbledore requested pointedly, closing the discussion.

"Thankyou Professor," Remus responded, before he left to alert James. James stepped into the room, his back straight and his head held high. He sat and locked gazes with Dumbledore, who silently accepted the show of defiance. It did not escape his notice that James' knuckles had not quite completely healed.

"Well Mr Potter? Tell me your story."

James shrugged. "Remus was at his meeting and Peter had gone to get something to eat. The Kitten- er, Dawn, went to the Library to return a book and me and Padfoot, I mean Sirius, went up to the dorms. Then Remus came back and started yelling at us when he found out where Dawn went, and that's when Peter came bursting in."

"I see," said Dumbledore, pleased to note that the stories were all matching well thus far. Also, he didn't have to look too deep into any of his students to see that they were telling the truth. But now he planned to test that theory by addressing something both Lupin and Pettigrew had seemed keen to gloss over. Something only Miss Evans had not been afraid to touch upon. "And when you found Miss Summers with Mr Malfoy?"

"Sirius opened the door, I was right behind him. Malfoy had his trousers undone and his hand up Dawn's skirt, he was just about to-" James, for the first time since he'd entered the room, looked away. His gaze had clouded over with anger and revulsion, reliving the moment as he spoke the words.

"I understand," Dumbledore intervened, saving him the trouble of having to say it again. "What did you do?"

The stare, completely void of remorse, lifted once more. "We tackled him off her, and started hitting him. We didn't stop until Remus started yelling for Padfoot to help him get Dawn out of there."

Dumbledore nodded, not surprised by the frank confession. If there was one thing he'd come to expect in the last five years, it was for James Potter (much like his best friend and partner in crime) to own his actions. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," James said, standing up. "I told Malfoy if he ever touches her again, he's a dead man. Just thought you should know I stand by that, Professor. Should I send in Sirius or Dawn next?"

"Sirius, please," Dumbledore returned, unfazed by the threat to another student's life that had just been blatantly made before him. If anything, he looked pleased to see James standing by his word with such conviction.

Sirius' eyes were still thundering with barely-controlled rage when he threw himself moodily into the seat. "I'm not sorry," he said abruptly.

Dumbledore blinked. "I didn't suspect you were, Sirius. Please, tell me about what you aren't sorry for."

Sirius didn't hesitate. He told the Professor about Dawn going off to the Library alone, about the way his blood had run cold when Peter burst in, panicked, about the way they'd run through the castle and he thought he was never going to get to the dungeons in time.

Sirius talked about throwing the door open, about shouting out at the sight of Malfoy violating his girlfriend, how he'd thrown himself on the filthy piece of shit -er, dirt, sorry Professor- and started punching. He admitted it had taken him a moment to realise that James was there too, how he would never have stopped punching if Dawn hadn't needed him...

Dumbledore sat silently, no longer even taking notes as Sirius talked himself out. It hadn't taken the Headmaster more than a few seconds to understand that Sirius' words were not his confession, but his therapy. When Sirius realised what he'd just done, he glanced up at Dumbledore sheepishly.

"So am I expelled? Because I think if I turned up on the front doorstep six months early, my dear old Mum would throttle me and curse you, Professor."

"We shall see, Mr Black. We shall see," Dumbledore replied evasively, but Sirius was almost certain he saw the old man wink ever so slightly. "But for now I think I'll be needing a word with that delightful young lady of yours. Please send Dawn in."

Sirius nodded and stepped out. The waiting room now only contained two people, Dawn and McGonagall. The Deputy Headmistress had been quick to send each student on their way once they left their little interview. Dawn stood the moment the door opened, her energies focused on not vomiting up all the butterflies currently engaging in a battle royale in her stomach.

"It's your turn Kitten," Sirius said unnecessarily.

Dawn nodded, not quite looking at him. McGonagall was glaring pointedly between Sirius and the exit, but he pretended not to notice. He stood before Dawn, lifted her chin with a finger, and kissed her lightly.

"Black," McGonagall said in a dangerous warning tone, wringing her hands to keep herself from losing her temper.

"It'll be ok, baby," Sirius whispered to Dawn, taking to the moving stairs while she crept into Dumbledore's office. She sat down in the chair and stared fearfully up at the Headmaster.

He stared back with sympathy. "Whenever you feel ready, Dawn."

Dawn looked down. Did never work for him? Because that was about when he could expect her to feel ready to talk about it. Dumbledore let a few minutes tick by, watching her open her mouth and then close it again without making a sound before he interceded.

"Your friends have given a strong indication of events in their statements," he said softly. "That you were on your way to the Library to return a book when you were attacked, that Mr Pettigrew witnessed this and alerted his dorm-mates, and that although you were assaulted your friends intervened before Mr Malfoy was able to... fulfil his objective," Dumbledore concluded gingerly. "Can you confirm that?"

"Yes," Dawn whispered.

"I'm going to need a few more details, Dawn. I'm sorry, but I must ask you what happened between the time of Mr Malfoy taking you and your friends arriving on the scene," he said apologetically. But it needed to be done, so this situation could be dealt with at once.

Dawn shrank into the seat and stared at her hands. "Um, he forced me into the dungeon, chained me to the wall," she mumbled. It took her several minutes to get the next sentences out, but Dumbledore waited with great patience. "He ripped my shirt... took my pants..." Dawn started to cry.

Dumbledore closed his eyes a moment before continuing. "And he touched you inappropriately?"

Dawn choked on a sob. "Y-yes."

"And you asked him not to?"

"Too many times," Dawn sniffled.

"Good girl, you've done very well," the Headmaster soothed in his most calming, grandfatherly voice. "You don't have to say any more, I have enough of your statement now. Though I will be needing the shirt that was torn."

Dawn, sniffing and wiping her eyes, glanced up at him. "It's in the boys' dorm," he admitted.

Dumbledore looked neither shocked of angered by the confession, he merely nodded and began scribbling out a short note. "I shall send a House-Elf to collect it shortly. In the mean time, please take this note down to Madam Pomfrey. Professor McGonagall will be waiting to accompany you," he handed her the parchment he'd been writing on.

* * *

Things seemed to happen quickly for Dawn after that. She was whisked down to the Hospital Wing for a check-up. Madam Pomfrey mended her wrists and cheek with a mere flick of her wand, then asked a series of personal questions and carried out a few tests, none of which Dawn felt entirely comfortable with. When the matron at last announced Dawn was in decent health, she was released and McGonagall walked her all the way up to the girls' dorms, leaving her in the care of Lily and Isabel.

Isabel, who had been filled in on the situation by Remus and Lily, pulled Dawn into a tight hug the moment their Head of House snapped the door closed behind her. Dawn sagged against Isabel, completely drained. She didn't remember much about the rest of the day, only that the girls had produced a substantial amount of chocolate and devoted a lot of energy to making her smile.

When evening rolled around, their stomachs began to rumble for something more substantial than chocolate. "Remus said you guys know how to get into the Kitchens," Isabel said to Dawn. "If you want to tell me how, I could go and get dinner," she offered.

But Dawn shook her head and stood up. "No, I'm good to go. Besides, how could I hide in here forever? There's no cable."

Lily laughed, and Isabel gave a politely puzzled smile as the three girls began the journey from the dorms to the Great Hall. When they reached the Hall, Dawn hesitated just outside the doors. She bit her lip.

"Is he in there?"

Isabel leaned around the doorframe to scan the Slytherin table. "No. And lucky for him, too, or I just might've hexed his little Lucius off."

"I'll give you a hand," Lily muttered, leading the way to the Gryffindor table. The moment they sat down, four boys claimed the seats around them. Dawn was sitting next to Isabel, she saw Remus slide in next to his girlfriend and didn't need to look to know Sirius was now seated beside her. Across the table, Lily looked very put out, sandwiched in between James and Peter.

The food appeared, but before Dawn could decide what she was going to take Remus had her plate and was loading it with generous, but not unreasonable portions of food. A hand settled on Dawn's leg, she jumped at the unexpected contact and shoved the hand away.

"Don't touch me!"

Everyone within earshot turned to stare. Sirius raised his hands slowly, looking alarmed and confused, and more than just a little hurt. Dawn flushed and looked down.

"You startled me," she mumbled lamely.

Sirius lowered his hands back to the table. "Sorry, Dawn. I didn't think," he said, frowning. After last night, he really couldn't understand her extreme reaction to his innocently-intended touch. Come to think of it, she'd been distant all morning, too, and then completely absent for the entire afternoon. His frown deepened. She couldn't be avoiding him. Could she?

Dawn silently took her loaded plate from Remus, keeping her eyes fixed on her food. She could practically feel Sirius' gaze on her, staring right through her, could hear his voice in her ear.

"Well then I guess we'll have to test that theory."

It took her a few moments to realise he'd actually spoken, she'd just registered words he'd said to her last night instead of what he'd actually said. "Sorry? Did you say something?"

"I said I missed you today," he whispered. "Where did you get off to?"

"I had to go to Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall took me there. And then she brought me back up to the dorms to stay with Lily and Isabel," Dawn recounted.

He nodded, showing her a hand with smooth, unbattered knuckles. "Yeah, Pomfrey fixed Prongs and I up right quick, too. But I guess she kicked us out before you got to the Hospital Wing."

Dawn just kept her eyes lowered and forced in another mouthful of chicken. It was getting too hard to look at Sirius' face without being assaulted by memories of acts that had seemed like such a good idea at the time. A lone owl swooped into the Great Hall then, a letter clasped in its beak. Most students regarded it curiously, watching as it flew directly to Dumbledore and deposited the letter before his plate.

"I thought the Owl Post was just for mornings," Dawn commented, her eyes tracking the owl's flight path back out of the Great Hall.

"Must be a special delivery," Remus told her. "They happed from time to time, especially with Dumbledore. Wonder what it's about."

When they all rose to leave after the meal, Sirius held out a hand for Dawn to take. She just stared at it for a moment, before slowly extending her own hand and allowing him to take hold of it. Once in the Common Room, Isabel settled with the Marauders for a while, though Lily went to sit with Candice and Michelle. After a few minutes, Isabel kissed Remus goodnight and went to join her dorm-mates.

When it was just the five of them alone, Remus sat forward a little. His body had tensed in the way it always did when he was about to disclose one of his brilliant, top-secret ideas to his friends. "Guys, I have an idea for something that would probably be useful for all of us," he began.

The others immediately leaned in. "Let's hear it, then."

"Well, it's a map," Remus announced with an air of quiet drama.

"A map?" James wrinkled his nose. "You mean like the one Wormtail used to have to find his classes first and second year?"

Sirius started to snicker, but Dawn's reproachful look quelled the impulse at once. Remus didn't look too pleased with the complete lack of enthusiasm with which his idea had been received. "No, something much better than that. What if we could make a map that not only showed us where the classes and all that stuff everybody knows about are, but everything only we've learned about the castle?" he mused.

Sirius' eyes widened. "You mean... the secret passages and everything?" he hissed.

Remus nodded. "I suspect there's loads we haven't found out about yet, but we could scour the castle from top to bottom when we're all back from holidays, then make a start on the grounds."

James grinned. "Sounds great, Moony. But I don't really see how big a help it can be for us. I mean, everyone here except Wormtail can find their way around pretty easy so what would be the point of writing it all down? What if someone else got their hands on it?"

Remus arched an eyebrow. Didn't James know by now to trust Remus could work around the bumps? "I'm not finished yet. Because we could Charm it so only we would know how to unlock it, and then we could use this spell I've been working on to plot people's movements while they're in the area of the map."

Sirius and James shared a look. "You mean, where they are?" James began.

"What they're doing?" Sirius added.

"Every minute?"

"Of every day?"

Both boys were grinning wildly, and Dawn couldn't help but smile at their little interaction. Remus nodded, though he'd turned a little sober, his face was much more serious than those of his friends.

"We'd never get caught because we'd see Filch of the Professors coming, but also it means we'd all be safer," he said with a pointed look at Dawn. "If one of us is in trouble, we'd be able to get to them quicker because we'll always know where we all are. So what do you think?"

"Brilliant," Peter squeaked.

Dawn smiled at Remus. He could be such a beautiful person sometimes. Remus smiled slightly and shrugged in response. It was the least he could do to help protect his friend, he only wished he'd done more to help her before she'd been branded with that jaded, used look that had been haunting him since it appeared in her eyes that morning. Remus felt a violent jolt of self-loathing. Whatever Dumbledore had said, he should have spoken up sooner. He might have saved her a world of pain.

The portrait door swung open and a little figure scurried in. "Sir Prongs? Please, is Sir Prongs being in here?" a high-pitched voice squealed.

James stuck his hand up, waving the House-Elf over. "I'm here, Locky. What's the matter?"

Locky scurried over and presented herself before James. "Sir Prongs, Locky is being sent with a very important message from Professor Dumbledore Sir. Locky is very happy to be helping," she babbled with enthusiasm.

"Ok, great." James shrugged. A few long moments passed. "Er, what's the message then?"

Locky blinked. "Oh! Locky is needing to give Sir Prongs this," she announced proudly, handing James a small slip of parchment and giving a little curtsey.

"Thanks," James accepted the note and read the single sentence scribbled out for him.

_'She will need someone to speak for her.'_

James frowned as he mulled the message over, stuffing the note in his pocket before his friends could read over his shoulder. He was so deep in thought he barely noticed Locky's departure, or the way the others were glaring at him for keeping them in suspense. Then, suddenly, he understood. his gaze found Dawn's and he could tell she knew it involved her somehow, but was either too tired or afraid to ask.

She would need someone to speak for her. It was clear that Dumbledore meant to put him on guard for Dawn's sake, James suddenly realised how stupid they'd all been for thinking Malfoy would just cop it sweet. Of course the slimy snake would try to slither out of the mess he'd created by any means possible. And a Wizard from the Malfoy family had a lot of means at his disposal. James stood up abruptly. He had a letter to write.

"James?" Remus began to ask, but got no further.

"Not now. I've got to take care of something, I'll catch up with you lot later," he called, already jogging up the boys' stairs. Dawn watched him go, the cold dread already icing its way through her veins.

Sirius touched her cheek lightly. "I'm sure it's fine, Kitten. Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Dawn muttered, staring intently at his left knee and not at all sounding like she believed a word he'd just said.

* * *

Sirius grabbed at Dawn's elbow to hold her back as the rest of the Marauders stepped into the Great Hall for breakfast. Dawn jumped at the contact once again, and she could tell he'd noticed by the way his eyes had darkened.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

Dawn looked longingly on as the rest of her friends disappeared through the doors. "Yeah, I guess," she stepped to the side and folded her arms across her chest.

Sirius stood by her a little awkwardly. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked bluntly. He wasn't sure how else to do it.

Dawn's eyes locked onto his accusingly, and he couldn't help but notice it was the first time she'd really even looked at him in about two days. All he knew was that he'd gone to sleep on Friday night with a girlfriend who trusted him. Who had liked the way he touched her. And the next morning it was a different world, she wouldn't even look at him and had become colder than the other side of the pillow towards him.

Dawn sighed. He had to ask. "No," she said slowly. Technically he hadn't done anything wrong, she'd just really felt like it was the wrong thing to do afterwards.

"Don't lie to me Dawn. Is this about... what happened the other night?" he ventured, reading the answer in the way her entire body shifted before she could say a word. "Because I thought, I mean, you said you were ok... you wanted me to," he mumbled, looking down.

Dawn cringed and crossed her arms so tightly she was hugging herself. "I know I said that at the time, but I-" she faltered.

Sirius crossed his own arms and shifted his weight from foot to foot. "What? You said it bet you didn't mean it?"

"No," Dawn stared up at him, pleading for understanding. "I meant it at the time, I really did, but after... I just wish I... I mean, I think maybe we shouldn't have let things get so far."

Sirius had to fight to keep from gaping at her. He was starting to feel physically sick. "You mean to tell me you regret everything that happened between us that night? That if you could take it back, you would?" his stomach clenched painfully.

Dawn just stared at him through the tears welling in her eyes. He had to look away. If Sirius had ever thought any person could make him feel as unwanted as his family did, he certainly wouldn't have believed it could be Dawn Summers. He shoved his hand roughly through his longish hair.

"Miss Summers, there you are," a crisp voice interrupted.

Dawn blinked her tears away before turning to face Professor McGonagall. The Transfiguration teacher was pursing her lips, her face was grim. Had she overheard the conversation? "If you will come with me, I am to escort you to the Headmaster's office at once. Black, get yourself to breakfast."

Sirius sensed the foreboding in Dawn as she made to move after McGonagall, but he wasn't sure what he was allowed to do about her now so he did nothing. He let her walk away without a word. Dawn tried to ask what was going on, but her Head of House merely suggested (rather strongly) that if she would concentrate on where she was going without asking too many questions, she'd get there quicker and find out all in due time.

Sirius stood there, staring numbly at the spot where Dawn had been standing a moment earlier until another figure came barrelling out of the Great Hall and almost crashed into him.

"Oi- Prongs! What the hell?" Sirius snapped. Now was not the time for interruptions.

James was shaking an opened letter at him. "Come on, Padfoot, we're out of time. We've got to get to the front gates!" Sirius took off after his nimble best friend without another word.

Dawn swallowed audibly as Professor McGonagall pushed open the door to Dumbledore's office and led her in. The Deputy Headmistress took her place behind the Headmaster's seat, but Dawn was too busy staring in horror at the two people closest to her to notice. Lucius Malfoy and a man who had to be his father were glaring contemptuously at her from two of the four seats set before Dumbledore's desk.

"Have a seat, Miss Summers," Dumbledore prodded her.

Dawn, fighting every major instinct that was screaming for her to run for her life, stepped over and took the furthest possible seat from the Malfoys. Her eyes were wide and fear-glazed, she looked distinctly like a deer caught in the headlights under the scrutiny of her grim-faced Professors.

"Well I'm sure you can have no doubts as to why we're all here," Dumbledore began, straightening the papers on his desk. "First thing's first, you will need to nominate an adult guardian, Miss Summers. Someone to be present throughout this little discussion."

Dawn paled. "But- but I don't have-"

Dumbledore levelled his unfathomable blue stare at her. "I am aware of your situation, which is why you have this opportunity to request an adult you would like to be here on your behalf."

Dawn's eyes darted around. There was nobody she could really ask. Well, Mrs Potter had told her to owl if she needed anything, but did that include emergency representation? Even if Dawn could ask, she'd never get to the school in time anyway. "Well... Professor McGonagall is Gryffindor's Head of House..."

"Absolutely not," the senior Mr Malfoy interrupted immediately. "Shows blatant favouritism towards the girl to have a Professor speak for her. I won't have it."

McGonagall huffed angrily behind Dumbledore. "Well she must have someone!"

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, sounding much calmer than his colleague. "Miss Summers, can you think of no one you could ask to be present before we begin?"

Dawn paled further. Her mouth was hanging open an bit, she was slowly beginning to shake her head in defeat. Then there was a quick knock at the door, it swung open and Dawn felt a rush of hope as tangible as a breeze. 

"Sorry I'm late. Have we begun?" Mr Potter strode into the office and stared expectantly around.

"Not at all, Mr Potter. I assure you you've arrived right on time," Dumbledore said cheerily. "Young Miss Summers here was just about to nominate a guardian for the duration of this little meeting. I trust you shall be able to act in that capacity, and we can get on with it if there are no further objections?" the Headmaster glanced pointedly at the two Malfoys, who remained silent.

Dawn was staring at Mr Potter in disbelief, still shaking in relief after her close call with being totally ambushed. James' father took the seat shielding her from her attacker and tossed a sly wink at her. She almost dared to smile.

"Well," Dumbledore was once again engrossed in the papers before him. "We are here to sort out this incident which occurred on Friday night, we hope that the truth will take this opportunity to reveal itself."

Dawn had difficulty in keeping up with all the words that were flying around her and above her head from that point on. Dumbledore and McGonagall looked on, grim-faced, as Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy went head to head arguing the cases for their wards. Dawn could not contain her gasp of outrage when the senior Malfoy tried to insist that not only was his son innocent, but a victim.

"Oh?" snapped McGonagall, before Dumbledore could quell her outburst with his raised hand. "And how do you figure that?"

The elder Malfoy arched an eyebrow. "Look at the condition of my son- he's been brutally beaten. But the girl? Not a scratch on her! How do you explain that?" he folded his arms complacently.

"It's quite simple, really," Mr Potter rebutted. "Dawn was seen with wounds to her face and wrists by five students and the two Professors present before submitting to an examination by Madam Pomfrey. Am I correct in saying Malfoy the younger refused such medical treatment?" he looked to Dumbledore for confirmation.

"That is correct, Harold," Dumbledore returned evenly, though there was the tiniest flicker of pleasure in the depths of his eyes that Mr Potter had gained the upper hand in the argument for the time being.

Dawn lost track of how many times they went round and round in circles that morning. The Malfoys were relentless in their accusations that Dawn had fabricated and staged the entire attack as part of a planned assault on Lucius. Mr Potter was easily as relentless in his defence of Dawn and the boys, he'd even brought into play Dawn's shirt that had been torn to demonstrate his point that there was nothing fabricated about what Dawn had been put through.

"A torn shirt proves nothing," Malfoy pointed out. "That damage could have been done by anyone to make this pathetic excuse for attacking my son seem plausible." Dawn closed her eyes as Malfoy continued to construct his case against her.

"The fact remains, Lucius was assaulted and the evidence of that is right before your eyes. There is nothing solid to support Potter's little story. His son and the elder Black boy should be expelled along with the girl for this deceit, there is no alternative I will accept as justice," he declared.

Dawn severely wanted to panic, but the completely controlled way Mr Potter fielded the accusations and demands somehow kept her from losing her head.

"Sirius and James made no secret of their actions, in fact they insisted the entire situation be reported the first opportunity they had," Mr Potter stated evenly. "Those boys are rash and passionate, but they aren't foolish. Only those without a guilty conscience, those who had nothing to hide would not hesitate to admit their involvement. As I've been informed, Lucius made no such attempt to come forward until he was confronted with the charges laid against him."

Malfoy's jaw ticked angrily. "Come, Dumbledore," he said in a voice of strained civility. "Let us be reasonable about this. The Malfoys are one of the oldest and most respected Wizarding families to date. We don't even know who this girl really is, where she has come from. You can not seriously be considering discrediting my son's word in favour of some lying, unconnected little Mudblood."

Dawn glared at him, as did McGonagall. The Professor's hand had even started to reach for her wand before she stayed it through great self-control. Mr Potter's hands had clenched over the arms of his chair and he'd begun to rise.

"I must ask you to mind your language while in this office, Marius," Dumbledore warned, a hint of coolness about him. "I will not tolerate anyone speaking ill of one of my students in that manner. Sit back down, please Harold."

Mr Potter relaxed in his seat at Dumbledore's request, though he still looked livid. He drew in a deep breath, Dawn could almost see him counting to ten in his head. "Well then I see only one resolution to this dispute. Veritaserum. A truth potion," he clarified for Dawn's sake. "As an Auror, I'm authorised to administer it, and if we really want the truth to be known I'm sure nobody here can have a reason to object."

By her reaction to some of the Marauders' more amusing pranks, Dawn had come to recognise that Professor McGonagall always pressed her lips into a thin, tight little line when she was trying not to smile. And at that moment, Minerva McGonagall's lips were pressed into the tightest, thinnest line Dawn had ever seen. Dumbledore was nodding in agreement.

"That sounds reasonable. Miss Summers, would you agree to being questioned under the influence of Veritaserum?" he levelled his stare at her once more.

Dawn's eyes widened a little. Sure, she knew a truth potion would only confirm her story and catch Malfoy out in his lie, but there was more at stake for her. If she was asked any questions about who and what she really was (and she wouldn't put it past the Malfoys to try) she'd be powerless to withhold the truth. She might as well gift wrap herself and have the package sent to Voldemort with a nice Christmas card for good measure.

"Of course only I shall be questioning you, and we will be keeping strictly to the topic at hand," Dumbledore added.

How had he known what she was thinking? "Yeah, sure," Dawn shrugged. Bring on the truth.

Dumbledore turned to the stony-faced Lucius. "And you, Mr Malfoy? Would you be willing to undergo questioning with Veritaserum?"

"Absolutely not," Marius Malfoy cut across his son. "I refuse to bear such an insult to the credibility of the Malfoy line. My son's word should be accepted on his honour alone!"

"And may I remind you that Dawn has five witnesses she can call upon to corroborate her story, and two of those witnesses are Prefects," Mr Potter countered drolly, sparing a look in Dawn's direction. He could smell victory.

Dumbledore heaved a sigh, though he did not look troubled at all. "You do realise, of course, that without undertaking the test I am unable to act upon your request to have Miss Summers, Mr Potter and Mr Black expelled from Hogwarts?"

"I am aware of it," said Marius stiffly. "I believe we should renegotiate on that point."

"Renegotiate?" Mr Potter snorted. "I don't think you're in much of a position to negotiate anything, Malfoy."

"On the contrary, Potter, I still have the matter of the beating my son sustained. That remains a fact with or without your precious Veritaserum," Malfoy countered. "I still insist upon the punishment of Black and Potter for their attack, though I understand the girl will no longer be able to be punished for her part in all this."

Dawn had to bite back the retort that considering it was the innocent victim, it was nice to hear she was off the hook. Luckily Mr Potter had spoken up, overriding any chance she might've had to make matters worse for herself. "James and Sirius knew all along they were likely to receive potentially serious repercussions for their provoked actions and they've accepted that. But Lucius must have an equal, if not greater punishment for his unprovoked attack on Dawn," Mr Potter pressed.

"Alleged attack," Marius corrected.

"No, not 'alleged'. Attack," Mr Potter snapped. "Everyone in this room knows that Lucius attacked Dawn in cold blood, and I'm not leaving this school until I'm satisfied she's going to be safe!"

Dawn's lower lip trembled. She had to grab onto the arms of her chair to keep from throwing herself at Mr Potter and hugging him to death then and there. He squeezed her hand for a moment before staring expectantly at Dumbledore, awaiting the final verdict.

"I agree that there is nothing more important at Hogwarts than the safety of its students," Dumbledore rested his elbows on the desk and pressed his fingertips together. "The punishment of James and Sirius will be deferred to Professor McGonagall, their Head of House. But Lucius faces more serious charges which I shall be answering myself."

The Headmaster locked gazes with the Slytherin, who refused to cower under the stare even though it took all his willpower to keep a straight face. "I'd hate to see you ruin your education just months away from taking your NEWTs, Lucius. Do not disappoint me again, and you would do very well to stay as far from Miss Summers as possible. I will not hesitate to expel you should I hear of such disgusting behaviour again. After the Christmas holidays, you shall have one month of detention and one hundred points shall be deducted from Slytherin House. I will be watching you very closely," Dumbledore warned, his eyes blazing so brightly in the weathered face that Dawn suddenly felt very grateful he was on her side.

Neither Malfoy argued with the judgement. "And what of the other boys?" Marius asked with a savage glare at McGonagall.

She merely regarded him with disdain over the top of her square-rimmed spectacles. "Both Mr Potter and Mr Black will receive a week's detention for violence, and Gryffindor will lose fifty points."

"Is that all?" Lucius muttered under his breath.

Unfortunately for him, McGonagall's cat-like senses easily caught the sound of his voice. She straightened to her full, intimidating height and glared. "Malfoy, you'd do well to keep your remarks to yourself!" she thundered. "I have half a mind to award Potter and Black fifty points each for their actions, so consider yourself lucky! I would've had you packing your trunk by now, so you'd better thank Merlin I'm not the one dealing with you!"

There was a moment of ringing silence in which Dawn debated whether or not it would be appropriate to applaud. Dumbledore stood, concluding the meeting with a simple nod of his head. The Malfoy name was powerful, he had done all he could. The Malfoys headed for the door without a word while Mr Potter leaned over to shake Dumbledore's hand.

"I'm glad you could make it, Harold," Dumbledore smiled.

"So am I," returned Mr Potter, and with a polite nod to McGonagall he led Dawn towards the exit.

"Miss Summers?"

Dawn looked back, one hand resting on the doorframe.

"You showed extraordinary bravery by being here this morning. Fifty points to Gryffindor," Dumbledore winked.

With a smile, Dawn left. In the outer office, Mr Potter was waiting for her. Unfortunately, so were Lucius and Marius Malfoy. As the younger blond sneered at her, something flickered in Dawn's core. Something with an attitude that felt very much like her sister. Dawn matched her attacker's sneer with a curled lip that would've made Cordelia proud.

Acting purely on an adrenaline-fuelled whim, Dawn stepped up to him. "Stay away from me," she snarled. "If you ever touch me again-"

"Your little buddy Potter already told me this one," Malfoy interrupted, looking extremely bored. "Let me guess, they'll be finding bits of me for weeks? How frightening."

Dawn snorted. "No. That's James' purgotive. I'm telling you they won't find you at all."

With that, Dawn turned on her heel and stalked over to the moving staircase. Mr Potter shot a victorious glance at the Malfoys before he joined Dawn, grinning proudly. He laid a hand on her shoulder and watched her relieved, empowered expression come alive as the stairs began to move. He decided he didn't have the heart to tell her she'd mispronounced the word 'prerogative'.

They stepped past the stone gargoyles to find the hall littered with Gryffindors. James, Sirius and Lily were pacing in an almost perfect triangle formation while Peter looked on, Remus and Isabel were leaning against the wall as though they felt like they'd been waiting there for hours. They all sprang to attention when Dawn and Mr Potter appeared, his hand gripping her shoulder supportively.

"Well?" Sirius prompted. He was staring at Dawn strangely, trying to gauge too many things at once. What she was thinking and feeling now, how the meeting had gone, if she really meant what she'd said to him earlier, exactly how much damage had been done to their relationship...

Dawn sighed, her returned stare as easily conflicted as his. "Nobody got expelled," she breathed. "You guys have a week's detention, Malfoy got a month and Dumbledore watching his every move."

"Well at least it's all over now," Isabel said consolingly, she and Lily each taking a moment to hug Dawn swiftly. Dawn nodded, taking the small comfort offered by the knowledge.

"Why didn't Malfoy get expelled?" James asked, narrowly beating Remus to the question.

Dawn shrugged. "It was the trade-off. You get to stay, he gets to stay."

Mr Potter looked down at her apologetically. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, Dawn."

"Are you kidding? Without you I probably wouldn't have lasted two minutes in there," Dawn admitted. "Knowing the Malfoys, I'd probably even be packing my bags right now. Thank you so much for coming," she whispered, swiping at her teared-up eyes.

Mr Potter hugged her briefly. "Of course, dear. Now I know you and Sirius are all signed up to stay at school over Christmas, but wouldn't you like a couple of weeks away from all this?" he asked, looking between the two teens in question.

Sirius had half a mind to decline the offer for the both of them. Before all this mess, he and Dawn had been looking forward to the time alone with the entire Gryffindor tower practically to themselves and Sirius still half hoped they could salvage some of that despite everything. At the very least, he figured he could try and get her to look at him without cringing again. but he never got the chance to speak up.

"Are- are you sure?" You wouldn't mind?" Dawn asked hopefully, looking between the Potter men who were both grinning at her.

"We'd love to have you," Mr Potter affirmed.

James was smirking. "Mum's always whingeing she doesn't have enough people to spoil on Christmas."

A small smile of relief crossed Dawn's face. Escape. "Ok then."

Sirius was frowning. He'd always known that girls were complicated, rash, emotional and prone to changing their minds at the drop of a hat. And it hadn't taken him long at all to figure out that Dawn was one of the most complex of a complex species. But he'd never before been stuck feeling as if he didn't understand her at all, and it scared him more than he cared to admit. It took a minute to filter through to him that Mr Potter was now addressing him.

"How about you, Sirius? Will you join us, too?"

Sirius locked gazes with Dawn, both sets of eyes guarded. He spoke without breaking his stare.

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

**A.N:** Depressing, I know. But I do promise about the getting back on track thing after this chapter! Please don't leave me, reviewers, I love you!

Anoron


	18. Christmas Is All Around

**Disclaimer:** All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, just as all things Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Joss Whedon. Christmas Is All Around is by Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) from the fantastic film Love Actually.

**A.N.** Sorry about the wait, life stuff in the way. Thanks for all the continued patience and support, I hope this chapter does a bit to get us back on track... who doesn't love Christmas... besides me? I love my reviewers.

**Sonofgloin: **Don't worry, I'll be sure to always have a little angst on the cards somehow, just for you! XX00

**Clcountry:** Best chapter yet? Thanks for the vote of confidence! Still don't know about the 'real Buffy & co.' issue. I do have a way in which I might be able to bring some of them in, but it just seems like a lot of work... LOL

**Kit:** Actually, since you've mentioned Harry's time, the sequel will take place in the time frame of Order of the Phoenix...

**Angie:** Sigh, I love perfect daddy Mr Potter. He's so much fun. And hopefully this will start to heal the wounds Dawn & Sirius have as a result of the last chapter and all. XX

**PomegranateQueen:** Thanks, I try for realistic stuff (even if it doesn't always work out!)

**Phoenix83ad:** I love your reviews! They're full of encouragement and honesty and high expectations. I hope I don't disappoint.

**MK:** I'm still playing the wait and see game with Spike... thanks for the review.

**Darkest Melody:** Angst is hard to pull off without going into overkill, I've discovered. Thanks for letting me know it's working for you! Sorry about the R rating, but with events past and future, it's just got to be that way (don't worry, I'll always do my best to make it worth it!)

**Dawn lover:** Thank the Valar I'm not the only one sick to death of Buffy!!!!!!!! Although I can't say I'm a Willow fan either, but it's good to hear you're enjoying my story!

**Eleclya111:** I know the last chap was heavy, but this one is nice and light in comparison. Yes, bow down to the Moony-God. And Dawn isn't really the luckiest girl in the world, but she did manage to get Sirius Black to fall for her, so maybe there's hope for her yet. LOL

**Lunawolf:** When is all ever at peace? LOL. And sorry about the late update, it really couldn't be helped, I got over a bout of writer's block just in time for assignment season to begin again!

**CodeNameTargeter: **If you wanted to kill Malfoy, I'd be willing to look the other way and ignore the blood splatters! I so wanted to castrate him, but Malfoys will be Malfoys. Slimy bastards.

**Eyexcandy:** No, no break-ups for now. As if a piece of trash like Lucius Malfoy could come between Sirius and Dawn. I am all for laziness (it's actually my religion) but please, PLEASE don't stop reviewing. It's my fix, and my inspiration and I think with how damn long this chapter took to get out, I've proven that I need it!!

**Yoshocrow:** Here's Christmas, hope it's what you were hoping for (isn't it funny all the expectations people have for Christmas!)

**Beachgurl2005:** Wow, glad you liked so much. I'd love to have McGonagall letting James and Sirius off completely, but she's too fair a teacher to let them escape all punishment. So I figure, hey, Dumbledore already gave Dawn back all the points she took from James and Sirius, and just because they have a week's worth of detention looming, doesn't mean it's gonna have to be like an Umbridge or a Snape detention! Yeah I said that this story ends at the end of fifth year, but don't just presume Dawn will be going back to Buffy... coz some things you'll have to wait and see... though people who've read the sequel-spoilers could answer that one for you... sorry this update was so slow coming.

**Daydreamer04 & Inversnaid:** Thanks for the reviews and I updated as fast as I could, really!!

**Christa:** Four words: Reset Button Chapter Three. Ok, five words: please? XX00 Hope it's coming along well (busy life stuff aside)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

**Christmas Is All Around**

Dawn leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window pane, watching the scenery roll by as the Hogwarts Express cut through the snow. Behind her, James and Peter were playing exploding snap and she had long ago lost the habit of jumping every time the deck exploded. Remus had gone to fulfil his Prefect duty and patrol the train, he'd patrolled his way right to Isabel's compartment and had yet to return.

Sirius was sitting across from her, shifting around moodily. James had asked him once if he had Nifflers in his pants, but the question had earned such a forceful glare that Sirius was left to his own devices after that. It took all of Dawn's willpower not to look at him. Things had been so tense between them in the last week of school before the Christmas holidays that Dawn had to strain to remember the time when she thought things would always be perfect. There were no little looks. No secret smiles. No comfortable touching. If Dawn's hair fell in her face, she pushed it back herself. There were no late-night visits, no gentle exploration and getting lost in each other. Their kisses were brief, awkward, uncertain, he held her hand almost as a formality, a flimsy lie that the world saw right through when they walked together.

When the compartment door slid open, Dawn sighed and turned her attention from the snow-covered plains to what was actually going on around her. The plump witch with the food cart was smiling expectantly at them. "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Dawn watched open mouthed as the boys proceeded to strip the trolley of anything and everything at all edible and then simply emptied their pockets over it to pay for the damage. With another smile, the witch wheeled the empty trolley away. Sirius picked up a Cauldron Cake and offered it to her silently.

Dawn smiled, trying for warmth but deep down knowing it seemed as forced as every other smile she'd given him in the past week. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he mumbled, already sifting through the assortment of sweets for his own Cauldron Cake.

The mountain of food dwindled quickly and James announced that they needed to make the most of the last few hours in which they could use magic until they returned to Hogwarts. Dawn just rolled her eyes.

"Ok, what prank are you just _dying_ to pull?"

He looked almost offended by the assumption. "I'm hurt, Kitten! What makes you automatically think I want to pull a prank?"

Dawn shrugged. "Having known you for more than five minutes."

He grinned. "Point taken. Let's go then."

He led them out of their compartment and down through the carriages, outlining his idea as he went. They spotted the witch with her replenished food cart just as Lily was paying for a small selection of sweets.

"Perfect timing," James whispered as Lily slid her compartment door closed and the trolley was wheeled on. "Now how do we distract her?"

Dawn smiled. She knew a thing or two about diversionary tactics. She'd seen the master of diversions, who just so happened to be her older sister, in action once or twice. The Scoobies had always thought she didn't understand, didn't care what was going on around her, but Dawn had always paid attention. She sauntered up to the plump witch, scratching absently at her forearms.

"Excuse me?" she positioned herself so that the witch needed to turn her back on the trolley to face Dawn.

"Yes, dear? Were you still hungry?" the kindly woman smiled.

Dawn shook her head, starting to scratch at her knee through her jeans. Behind the witch, James, Peter and Sirius had crept up to the trolley, a potion each in their hands. "No, I'm not hungry. I was just wondering, what exactly is in those Cauldron Cakes?"

The witch frowned in thought. Dawn scratched furiously at the back of her neck. "Oh, flour, sugar, milk, flavouring, poppy seeds-"

"Ah!" Dawn blurted, leaving her neck alone before she drew blood, starting to scratch at her arms again. "Poppy seeds, I'm allergic to them. They make me itch."

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" the plump witch covered her mouth with her hand. Behind her, the boys finished sprinkling their potions over the food and were backing silently away. "I'm sure I'll have something under my cart to take that itch away for you."

"No!" Dawn blurted, stopping the witch from turning and catching sight of the three boys who hadn't quite cleared out. "I've got something in my trunk for it, I just needed to know what exactly was in the Cauldron Cakes first. Thanks."

She scrambled off after the boys, who were waiting for her in the next carriage, grinning with triumph and taking a quick bow while they applauded her performance. They slipped into the compartment that housed the only four toilets on the Hogwarts Express for the finishing touches of their prank. Three of the little cubicles were empty, they set to work performing the '_Colloportus_' Charm on the doors so they sealed themselves into the doorframe with a loud squelch. James crept over to the fourth, occupied stall and pressed his ear to the door for a moment. Then he grinned, whispered an unlocking charm, and threw the door open.

"James!" Dawn gasped, horrified he would be so insensitive to some poor student trying to go to the bathroom.

Remus and Isabel sprang apart at the intrusion, Remus' hip colliding painfully with the small basin attached to the wall. Dawn winced in sympathy as the pair turned to stare at them. Isabel was hastily straightening herself up, Remus was rubbing his hip and glaring at James as he smirked.

"Sorry, Moony, Whitman," James shrugged. "But it's for a good cause."

Sirius reached in and pulled the stunned couple out of the cubicle, Peter slammed the door and James cast the '_Colloportus_' Charm to seal it shut. Isabel, not wanting to know, went to find Lily and the Marauders returned to their own compartment. It wasn't long after that, compartment doors down the train started to slam open, several sets of footsteps rushed towards the toilets.

Then the cries of horror echoed back to the Marauders' compartment and they all broke out in evil giggles. By the time the Hogwarts Express chugged into Kings' Cross Station, it had started to smell faintly like a sewer. And every student who'd eaten food from the second trolley, including Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Black and Severus Snape, had changed their pants at least once, performed a fair few vanishing spells and looked completely mortified.

The five of them stepped off the train and pushed over to where the Potters, Lupins and Pettigrews were waiting to greet them. There was a little boy hanging onto Mrs Lupin's sleeve who hadn't been present at the disastrous Parents' Weekend, Dawn noticed. But then again, no younger children had come to the castle, so maybe they weren't invited. She hadn't known Remus had a little brother. He was cute, too. About six or seven, with big brown eyes and the same dirty blond coloured hair as Remus', but it was thinner, finer and just a little shorter, it hit his shoulders and curled up in little ringlets. He grinned broadly at Dawn and she smiled back.

Mr Lupin wrinkled his nose at the state of the train. "What happened in there?" he asked.

Five innocent shrugs responded. "There must've been something in the food on that second trolley," Sirius supplied.

* * *

"Welcome to Godric's Hollow," Mr Potter said, proudly ushering Dawn across the threshold.

Dawn stepped into the large, welcoming home of the Potters, staring around in awe. The house was spacious and decorated with just enough of the extravagant touch to announce the social and financial status of the Potters, but there was nothing overstated or pompous about it. it was homely, comfortable and inviting.

"Come on, dear. I'll show you your room," Mrs Potter hooked her arm through Dawn's and led her up the winding staircase, the boys following behind. Mrs Potter showed Dawn to a large, pretty guest room with its own en suite on the second floor. She pointed out James and Sirius' rooms just down the hall in case she needed anything.

Mr and Mrs Potter left the three students alone to give them time to settle in before dinner, and twenty minutes later the trio were taking the scenic route to the dining room so that James could give Dawn the grand tour. After becoming accustomed to the utter lack of technology Hogwarts had to offer, she was surprised to see how modernised Godric's Hollow was with its comfortable mix of wizarding and muggle appliances. The living room contained not only a radio to pick up stations on the Wizarding Wireless, but also a regular stereo and television in the entertainment unit. Dawn vaguely wondered if the tv shows were all the same here as they'd been in her sister's dimension as they joined James' parents at the dinner table.

When Mrs Potter finally stopped trying to force another bakes potato onto her plate, Dawn took a moment to cast a bittersweet glance about the table. It had been a long time since she had taken any sort of part in a real family dinner. Her eyes fell on Sirius and she sighed, wishing for the millionth time that she hadn't made such a mess of things with him. When he looked up and caught her staring, Dawn suddenly found the extra baked potato Mrs Potter had somehow managed to sneak onto her plate incredibly interesting.

"I thought you kids might like to help me decorate this place for Christmas tomorrow," Mrs Potter chattered happily over the gentle clinking of cutlery against china.

"Well done, dear," Mr Potter laughed. "Wait until they're all signed up and settled in for the holidays and then hit them with the demand for slave labour!"

"Oh, really Harold!" Mrs Potter huffed, though her eyes were twinkling.

James was grinning at both his parents. "Don't worry, Mum. Don't we help you every year?" he reminded her.

"You're a good boy, James."

His jaw dropped. "Who told you that, woman!?"

Dawn giggled behind her napkin and Mr Potter shot her a swift wink. An hour later they were all yawning and the adults were sending the three kids upstairs and straight to bed. James yawned and waved, disappearing into his own room and leaving Sirius and Dawn standing uncomfortably outside her door. Dawn looked up at him.

"Goodnight," she said softly.

"Yeah," Sirius swooped in to knock his lips against the corner of her mouth. "Night."

She watched him go into his own room without so much as a backward glance, her eyes watering with hurt before she retired herself. She fell into a fitful sleep, her dreams invaded by the heavy pounding of rain in a murky downtown alley. When she awoke the next morning, it was with the memory of Angel cradling a newborn baby, shielding it from the driving rain with his jacket as best he could. A name danced on her lips.

"Connor."

She was just about finished scribbling her dream into her almost-full Dream Journal when there was a loud knock at her bedroom door. She hastily recapped her ink bottle and put her quill on her bedside table.

"Kitten, you awake?"

"Yeah," she called, blowing on the leaf of parchment to help the ink dry quicker. James and Sirius tumbled through her bedroom door, rumpled and still, in their pyjamas.

"Dawn, you're not doing... homework on the first day of holidays, are you?" James wrinkled his nose. "Because I can't let it get out that _my_ sister does homework on the first day of the holidays."

Dawn smiled and put the book aside so she could crawl out from under the covers. "Just my Dream Journal, I swear."

They wandered down to a late breakfast with Mrs Potter, though James' father had long since departed for work. James' mother gaped at Dawn over her coffee as Dawn stood there in nothing but the old, oversized shirt of Sirius' that she still slept in. "Oh dear, did you forget your nightgown?" she asked.

Dawn frowned as she took her loaded plate from James' hands. "Um, no Mrs Potter. This is just what I sleep in."

"Hmm," Mrs Potter muttered, seemingly focused on buttering her toast but James recognised the rare but dangerous 'over my dead body' look in his mother's eyes.

After breakfast they were set to work decorating the living room, dining room and large foyer ready for Christmas. Mrs Potter set James the task of untangling the long strands of coloured tinsel so that Dawn and Sirius could hang them along the picture rails and wind them through the banister of the stairs. The lady of the house herself fixed the magically glowing baubles to the rich green tree that had appeared in the foyer. When the tinsel was hung, the mistletoe was brought out to be hung in bushels throughout the house, then Mrs Potter completed the effect by spreading little clumps of magical snow over the tree and around the house. Dawn had even attached red and green bows to the handle of Newman, whom she couldn't bear to leave behind for the holidays.

"Looks great," Dawn smiled, staring around at their day's work.

"Yeah. The Potters do this every Christmas," Sirius shrugged.

James suddenly snorted and pointed at something above their heads. "I've never known you two to miss an opportunity for snogging."

Dawn and Sirius raised their gazes, realising for the first time that they were standing directly under a little bushel of mistletoe. Then they stared at each other a moment, each feeling awkward and pressured and not at all in favour of the offending greenery looming above them. Dawn finally stretched up to kiss Sirius briefly, then she hurried out of the room before they could get caught in the same predicament again. Sirius watched her go, strange clouds of despair filling his eyes as he came to a difficult decision.

It wasn't easy, though, to find a chance to speak to Dawn because she avoided him for the rest of the afternoon. The next time he saw her was when James called her downstairs for dinner and there was no chance for privacy during the evening spent lazing around in their pyjamas, watching the muggle television. And since she no longer came to him, Sirius decided it was time he went to her. He slipped into Dawn's room and found her curled up in a seat on her little balcony, just staring out at the snow. She was always so fascinated by it, somehow.

"Kitten, what are you doing out here? You'll freeze," he chided gently, stopping by her chair.

Dawn blinked as if coming out of a deep reverie. "Sirius," she breathed. "What are you doing out here?"

He clenched his jaw, staring out at the blanket of whiteness. It would be so much easier if he could do this without having to look at her. "We need to talk."

Dawn nodded, studying her hands with deep concentration. "Yeah, I guess we haven't really talked since..." since I made you think there was nothing more repulsive to me than your touch, Dawn admitted silently, but couldn't bring herself to say anything out loud.

"Uh-huh. Well, I've been thinking about it and maybe it'd be best if we..." he gripped the frozen balcony rail for support. "If we just cooled things off for a while."

Dawn's eyes snapped onto his back. She was feeling dizzy, sick, winded. "You're breaking up with me?" she choked. "On Christmas?"

Sirius whirled around, his skin tearing painfully from the railing. "No! Merlin, no, Dawn. I don't want us to break up for good," he swore. That was one idea he really couldn't stand to entertain. It was almost worse than the prospect of becoming a Death Eater. "I just think if we backed off a little, it'd be less pressure on you. You've just been so distant lately I thought maybe you needed some space," he closed his eyes. Couldn't she see how hard this was for him? That it was the last thing he wanted, but if it was going to make her feel better then he would sacrifice as much time as it took?

"No! I don't need any space, I need you!" she cried. "You can't leave me."

Sirius opened his eyes, staring at her in confusion. Dawn was drying as she looked fearfully back at him and Sirius opened his mouth to respond but found he had no idea what to say. Dawn scooted to the edge of her seat and grabbed his wrist almost imploringly.

"I know things have sucked between us, and I know I said some really horrible things that must've hurt like hell and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you away so much. I'm so sorry, Sirius. I just... didn't want you to know, didn't want you to see what he did to me," she broke down completely, no longer capable of producing any sounds beyond deep, ragged sobs.

Without realising he'd moved, Sirius found himself kneeling before her with his hands on her face and her tears running over them. "Shh baby, don't cry. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I didn't know what else to do, I'm sorry I didn't understand. I never meant to be so insensitive, really I didn't."

Her forehead was pressed against his and at length Sirius felt the shaking of her shoulders subsiding as Dawn finally calmed. She was so close and it felt like forever since he'd been allowed to see her in such an intimate light, Sirius didn't think twice about kissing her. He found the taste of her salty tears better than any food he'd ever had and as Dawn returned the kiss, all of a sudden everything in the world seemed to right itself again.

"I missed you," Dawn murmured against Sirius' lips. He just pulled her closer to him so in the end they were both huddled together in a little heap on the cold pavers of the balcony. When Dawn started to shiver with the cold, Sirius helped her to her feet and led her back inside by the hand.

He closed the balcony doors and turned to look at her. She was standing on the carpet shivering, her eyes rimmed red and her face still wet, but looking much happier and more beautiful to him than she had in a long time.

"Come on, baby," he murmured, bringing her over to the bed and settling her under the warm covers. "You need to sleep. Goodnight," he kissed her goodnight and moved to let her sleep in peace, but Dawn reached out and gently seized his hand.

"Can you stay? Just til I fall asleep?"

He smiled and settled himself on the edge of the bed without a word. One hand was stroking her hair back softly while the other kept a firm hold of hers.

* * *

"Dawn? Are you in here?" Mrs Potter knocked briefly, then pushed the door to Dawn's bedroom open.

"Here, Mrs Potter," Dawn stepped out of her en suite, freshly showered and buttoning the pyjamas that Mrs Potter always wrinkled her nose at.

The woman waved her hand at Dawn, then pulled a mass of white material from a shopping bag in her hands. "Oh never mind those buttons, dear, I've brought you a proper nightie. Can't have you wandering around in that shirt any longer, go put this on."

Dawn smiled and accepted the offering. "Thanks."

Mrs Potter just smiled and shooed Dawn back into the en suite, where she traded Sirius' shirt for the new nightie. Dawn glanced in the mirror and whimpered. The solid white gown was fitted over the bust, but then it hung loose and shapeless almost to her calves. It was not quite like the one she remembered her grandmother wearing. But not nearly far enough from it. The boys were going to have a field day, she just knew it.

Dawn walked stiffly out of the bathroom and Mrs Potter, who in her heart had always liked the idea of having a girl in the house to spoil, beamed with pleasure. Mustering an awkward smile for her benefit, Dawn followed her downstairs, rolling and jerking her shoulders to try and get the unfamiliar garment to sit more comfortably.

She hesitated for as long as possible before stepping into the living room. James and Sirius both stared, Dawn could practically see the wisecracks banking up in their heads even as she shuffled across to sit next to Sirius on the lounge. She crossed her arms and stared at the tv, hoping that if she didn't give them an opening they'd manage to keep their mouths shut. No such luck.

"I didn't know Grandma Potter was coming to visit," James said through a loud snigger. "Did she get her luggage mixed up with yours, Kitten?"

Dawn glared at him. Sirius snorted. "Actually I was going to ask what she was going into hospital for.

Dawn shifted her glare over to him as the two boys broke into small fits of laughter. Mrs Potter sent them a stern look over the top of her copy of 'Witch Weekly'. "Stop it, the both of you. She looks lovely."

Dawn gave a wan smile as Sirius and James settled into a restless quiet, like twin volcanoes in danger of erupting with laughter at any given moment. After a few minutes of uneasy peace, they exchanged a wicked grin. Sirius ran a finger over the little ruffles on Dawn's sleeve.

"It really isn't so bad, I guess. If you ever get stuck on top of a building you could always use it to parachute down to the ground."

His hand was slapped away viciously and Dawn sent him a 'that's it- no kisses for you tonight' glare. James hastily smothered his smile and caught Dawn's eye in a mock-serious moment.

"So when's the baby due?"

Dawn threw up her hands and screeched with frustration. She jumped up and stomped out, wishing the living room had a door to slam behind her. Sirius watched her retreat, his eyes catching the barest hint of her lithe silhouette through the white cotton as the firelight momentarily framed her in the doorway. He cocked his head to the side.

"Actually that is kinda sexy."

James slapped him upside the head.

Dawn stamped all the way up to her room and more for lack of anything better to do than actual tiredness, went to bed early and slept the night away. She was eased back into consciousness early the next morning by smooth lips tickling her jaw.

"Sirius?" Dawn murmured blearily.

"Wake up baby. Happy Christmas," he whispered and set to work kissing her all over her face until she opened her eyes.

"Merry Christmas."

He kissed her lips and pulled her into a sitting position. "C'mon, James is already rounding up Mr and Mrs P so we can go open presents!"

Dawn hesitated, glancing down at herself. Sirius grinned and hauled her forcefully out from under the covers. "I swear on Marauder's Honour I won't make any more fun of your sexy nightie."

"Sexy?" Dawn snorted. Sirius just shrugged. It had a lot to do with the girl wearing it, really. She made him wait outside a few minutes while she spent some girl time in the bathroom before they headed down to the massive Christmas tree in the foyer. Dawn couldn't help but laugh at the way Sirius bounded along beside her like an overexcited puppy.

They stepped into the foyer and gasped. There was barely room to move amongst the three mountains of presents, each wrapped in a separate colour, though a rug to sit on had been spread over the only uncovered space of floor. At the very base of the tree was another assortment of gifts with little tags on them; Dawn recognised the gifts she'd wrapped for James, Sirius and Mr and Mrs Potter amongst them. Sirius had seen this every other Christmas he'd spent at the Potters, but the spectacle never ceased to amaze him of the love with which his best friend's family approached Christmas.

"Happy Christmas," James called, dragging his dishevelled but nonetheless beaming parents into the foyer. Dawn and Sirius took turns being hugged and kissed and wished a 'happy Christmas' by James' parents before their attention was turned to the presents.

Mr Potter passed out all the personal gifts first, and they all sat on the rug to open them together. Hagrid had send her an enormous tin of fudge and Dawn was glad she'd remembered to send him a set of striped and dotted tablecloth-handkerchiefs for Christmas. Lily and Isabel had pooled their money to buy her her very own selection of Tolkien books, since she'd seemed to enjoy the ones Isabel had loaned her so much. Dawn grinned and opened Remus and Peter's presents next; Peter had given her a box of Honeydukes chocolates that would automatically replenish itself once she took the last one while Remus had given her a book on practical defences and a bracelet laced with unicorn hair, which he'd once told her had protective properties. Grinning broader than ever, Dawn fastened the bracelet around her wrist and reached for the package from James. She tore the paper off, lifted the lid and gasped. Nestled into a bed of crimson velvet was a silver cross on a chain and a matching anklet.

"James..." Dawn breathed, looking over at him. "Oh my God!"

He smirked over the top of his brand new Quidditch gloves and Zonko's gift voucher, then leaned in to give her a soft, very brotherly kiss. Dawn put on the cross and the anklet, and with her stomach fluttering a little, at last reached for Sirius' gift. She caught his eye and smiled, realising he was just about to open the present she'd picked out for him, too. They pulled the paper off simultaneously, Sirius breaking into a huge grin as he read the title of his new book: _Shakespeare On Love_. He'd always wanted to read more work from the writer who had Dawn so captivated by his words. Dawn stared at the brand new journal resting on her lap in wonder. It was bound in rich leather and studded with jewels in intricate little patterns.

"It's password protected, Kitten and it never runs out either. At the end of each year, that year appears in the index at the front and all you have to do is say the year and it'll appear in the whole journal," Sirius explained.

Dawn smiled at him, then they were kissing a little more forcefully than intended until James got bored and prised them apart. "Come on, there's more presents to open yet!"

"Yes," Mrs Potter smiled, looking up from the small photo album Dawn and Sirius had given her and her husband. They'd coerced Michelle, who was interested in photography, into snapping pictures of James when he was least expecting it. Dawn had picked only the very best selection to include in the album, and had decided to keep the others, such as Lily hefting a cauldron full of some potion over James' head, to herself. "James, honey, yours is the red pile, Sirius has all the green gifts and all the white ones are Dawn's."

Dawn blinked at the mass of presents all for her. Now she thought about it, it wasn't really a mountain of gifts at all. It was the Himalayas.

James and Sirius tore hungrily into the first round of presents while Mr and Mrs Potter curled up together to watch lovingly. Dawn reached for her own much more slowly, savouring every moment. In time she was surrounded by clothes, jewellery, books, cds, and countless other odds and ends of both magical and muggle origin, she could barely see James and Sirius over their own mountains of gifts. She looked around the perfect homely scene and paused, for a moment dwelling on thoughts of her mother and sister and how long it had been since she'd been able to feel like part of a family.

When only a sea of discarded scraps of wrapping paper lay around them, they all went back upstairs to dress before the big Christmas breakfast the House-Elves had laid out for them. Dawn lay on her bed to stop for a bit and took Newman out of his holiday home in the bottom of the drawer, letting him plod around on her stomach for a bit while she thought about the Summers family and tried not to cry for them.

There was a knock at the door and Sirius poked his head in. "Hey baby, I-" he began, then broke off. "Why are you crying?"

Dawn swiped her tears away and gave a little smile as he sat by her. "I'm ok. Really, I am. I just missed my Mom and Buffy a little is all. First Christmas without them, you know?"

He nodded, playing his fingers against hers. "I know. I, er, have something else I wanted to give you, but I wanted to wait until we were alone," he said nervously.

Dawn pushed herself up a little, not noticing that Newman had toppled off her stomach and onto the mattress. She pulled something out of the top drawer at her bedside. "Same here... together?"

He nodded and they exchanged similar small boxes from the little jewellery shop in Hogsmeade. With a deep breath each, both Sirius and Dawn lifted the lids.

"It's-" Sirius began.

"A Claddagh ring," Dawn breathed. She giggled, delighted by the intense, strange perfection of them unknowingly getting each other matching gifts.

"You know about Claddagh rings?" Sirius blinked.

Dawn nodded sheepishly. She'd once tried to borrow the one Angel had given Buffy, and if she had known the Slayer was going to launch into an hour-long lecture on the subject, she would've just picked something else to wear. "It's an Irish symbol of devotion showing loyalty, friendship and love in the crown, hands, and heart..."

Sirius reached over, plucked the ring out of the box in Dawn's hands, and slid it on her finger with the heart pointing towards her. "And when you wear it like this, with the heart pointing towards you, means you belong to somebody," he said softly.

Dawn smiled as she took his ring and slid it on his finger with the heart pointing towards him. She kissed him deeply, then returned Newman to his drawer so they could join the Potters for breakfast, walking hand in hand. The day passed peacefully, and after a phenomenally huge Christmas dinner to rival a Hogwarts feast, the trio lazed the afternoon and evening away in James' room.

James was sorting through his presents, separating them into piles of Quidditch, clothing, food and miscellaneous objects to be put away. Dawn was skimming through the defence book Remus had given her, glancing over every now and then to see if Sirius was still engrossed in the words of Shakespeare. She smiled at the way his eyes flew across each line eagerly and was wondering if she'd ever be able to talk him into reading some scenes aloud with her when the fire in James' hearth suddenly flared into acidic green.

"Happy Christmas!"

"Ack!" Dawn jumped about a foot in the air in fright as Remus' head appeared in the fire, smiling at them all. "Remus, how?" she squealed.

He arched an eyebrow over dancing amber eyes. "Just the floo network, Kitten. And again, I say Happy Christmas to you all."

Dawn flushed slightly. "Merry Christmas," she hastily wished him.

"Happy Christmas, Moony," James and Sirius called and the three of them went to sit on the rug by the hearth to talk.

"Had a good day, then?" Remus asked, heartened to see the way Dawn snuggled herself comfortably into Sirius' side. A part of him feared that in the fallout of Malfoy's attack on Dawn, her relationship with Sirius would not survive the holidays, he was more than relieved to see he had nothing to worry about.

"It was great," Dawn smiled, answering for the three of them. "How was yours?"

"Good, good," he assured her. "I just wanted to make sure we're still going to get together this week. I'm going out with Isabel on Thursday," he said, a faint tinge of pink on his cheeks. "But other than that, I'm free all week."

"Wednesday, then?" James shrugged. "Mum won't mind, long as she's got time to put all her breakables out of reach."

"Why would-?" Dawn began to ask, but then stopped at the look on Remus' face.

"Things have happened, Dawnie, and none of us are too proud of the loss of certain family heirlooms... best not to talk about it, really," he said frankly.

"Ok." When even Remus didn't want to explain something, Dawn had come to realise she just didn't need to know.

Remus smiled as if he'd read her mind, then returned to the task at hand. "Right, so I'll floo Peter and we'll be by at ten on Wednesday. All right?"

"Yeah, sure Moony," James said with a grin. "I'm sure Wormtail hasn't got anything better to do."

* * *

"Kitten!"

Dawn looked up just in time to see James' snowball flying right at her. It exploded against her chest, the impact sitting her right on her backside in the snow.

"Sorry," he called sheepishly, before turning his attention back to the every-person-for-themselves snowball fight they'd initiated when Mrs Potter had driven them all outside for a few moments of peace.

Dawn just folded her arms and sulked in the snow. She wasn't playing anymore. She'd never been in a snowball fight before, the boys all had much more experience in this area and with the exception of Peter they were all stringer than her. It just wasn't fair. A few minutes passed before Sirius came and threw himself down next to her. Pulling a glove off, he reached up and tickled her chin. Dawn looked away, determined not to smile.

"Aw, come on baby," he cajoled. "We're not that rough, are we?"

She nodded curtly.

"Oh... well, we can do something else then. I know, I'll show you how to make a snow angel!"

Despite herself, Dawn turned an interested stare back to Sirius. He grinned at his small victory and proceeded to flap his arms and legs wildly, leaving the outline of an angel imprinted in the snow.

Dawn bit her tongue to keep the impending giggles at bay. "You do realise you look completely ridiculous, right?"

Sirius rolled over and knelt before her. He dipped the fingers of his un-gloved hand in the snow. "You Miss Summers," he trailed his wet, icy hand across the nape of her neck, drawing a little squeal, "are incredibly difficult to please sometimes."

The only response he received was a secretive little smirk as James, Remus and Peter joined them, all considerably wet and snow-covered.

"What's next, snow angels?" Peter asked.

Sirius arched an eyebrow. "Sure, if we all want to look 'completely ridiculous'," he scoffed. Peter piped down, going a little pink as he misinterpreted Sirius' remark as a way of ridiculing him.

"A snowman then?" Remus suggested.

James snorted. "What are we, eight?"

But Dawn's eyes had lit up at the suggestion. "Can we, please?" she begged. "I've always wanted to make a snowman!"

"Why, was the miracle snow no good for snowmen?" Sirius teased, glad she'd stopped sulking and was back into her playful mood.

"No," she pouted. "Buffy was off somewhere smooching with Angel, Mom said it was too cold outside and Faith was too cool to play in the snow so I missed out."

"Ok then," James grinned, never one to deny his adorable 'sister' much of anything.

They set about heaping the snow around them, packing it into enormous boulders that they stacked one on top of the other. When, some time later, they finally reached the stage where they needed only to deposit the head on top of the hulking body, none of them were actually tall enough to reach. In the end James and Sirius knelt in the snow like stepping blocks while Dawn, gripping Peter's hand tightly for balance, stepped up onto their backs. When she was steady, Remus handed her the snow head to attach to the snow body and then helped her back to solid ground.

Dawn squealed and did a little dance of joy. "That is so cool!"

"It's the biggest snowman I've ever seen," Sirius commented.

"Mmm. Maybe we should get Mum to take a picture," James thought aloud. A moment later he was jogging back towards the house to act on the impulse.

Peter and Sirius began to pat the snowman down, making sure he was fit to be photographed. While they were distracted Remus took the opportunity to sidle over to Dawn. "Seems like you're feeling a lot better these days," he commented quietly. "I'm glad."

"I'm fine, Remus. Really," she promised with a grateful smile.

He shifted, looking both sincere and a little uncertain about overstepping the mark. "Listen Dawn, I don't know if I should be saying this, and I- I guess sometimes the last person you'd want to talk to would be a guy, but... I'm here, you know? If you ever needed to talk about anything at all, I'll always be ready to listen," he looked down shyly.

He'd had friends who were girls, like Lily, and Isabel before she'd become his girlfriend, but he'd never had quite so close a female friend before Dawn had come along and slotted herself neatly into their lives. She was much more difficult to gauge than the male Marauders, girls and boys shared their confidences in very different ways and Remus had never thought "just sit down and tell me what's wrong already, you great dolt' would be an effective invitation for Dawn to open up.

Dawn blinked, taken aback by the unassuming, open offer. Then her mouth curved upwards and she wrapped her arms around his neck for a quick hug. "You're the best, Remus," she told him. "And you know the same goes for you, right? I mean, if you ever wanted someone to talk to, you could talk to me."

They shared a smile, sealing the unofficial bargain. James reappeared on the scene, practically dragging his mother with her camera in hand. She did a double-take at the ten foot monster they'd created.

"Well that is the biggest snowman in Britain," she laughed. "Come on, kids, in you get and I'll take a picture."

The five of them crowded around their snowman, grinning and waving frantically at the camera. Dawn glanced cheekily at Remus and he responded immediately, the pair crashing into James, driving him sideways. James fell through the snowman, which exploded into a blizzard around him and knocked into Peter, who in turn barrelled into Sirius. Mrs Potter laughed, snapping away in delight as James latched onto Dawn's arm in a futile attempt at remaining upright, she overbalanced and grabbed Remus, the momentum carrying the lot of them to the ground. They staged another mini snow fight, but with the way they were just splashing the snow every which way, Dawn thought it seemed more like a water fight... just with frozen water.

Only when she ran out of film did Mrs Potter call them to order. "All right, inside with the lot of you. You'll need to get dried off and I'll make some hot chocolate to warm you up."

They all trudged in the back door, Mrs Potter performed drying charms on them and by the time they'd shed their outer layers of clothing, she'd set a tray full of steaming mugs in the living room for them.

"Thanks Mum," James grinned as she left them to their own devices.

"Have you guys finished your holiday assignments, yet?" Remus asked, swirling his marshmallows around with his finger.

James and Sirius laughed openly, Peter shook his head sheepishly, but Dawn nodded proudly. Much to the disgust of Sirius and James, she'd finished all her holiday homework within the first three days of the break.

Remus grinned. "Me too. How'd you find them?"

"They were ok," Dawn shrugged, pinching Sirius' nose to stop his over exaggerated snores. He sputtered and glowered at her, but Dawn only smiled sweetly and turned back to Remus. "I had to get Mr Potter to tutor me a little with the Charms essay, but I got through it."

"Hmm, I thought Charms was pretty in depth, too. I guess they're just starting to crack down on us for OWLs," Remus shrugged.

They all grimaced at the prospect of their end of year exams. "I'm still not sure what the OWLs are, really," Dawn admitted. "I mean, what will we have to do?"

"Pretty standard, really," James told her. "You do a theory and a practical exam for each subject, set by Ministry officials who look even older than Dumbledore. In the fifth we have OWLs and then in seventh year we'll have to go through the same thing for NEWTs."

"So it's just like magical SATs?" Dawn tried to translate into her own language.

Sirius shifted his eyes from side to side. "Er, yeah..."

"I think it sounds scary," Peter confided, setting his empty mug aside and reaching for the bag of marshmallows Mrs Potter seemed to have left just for him.

The other boys rolled their eyes, but Dawn shot him an 'I hear you' look before another question popped into her mind. "Hey, why do they call them NEWTs?"

"Because it sounds more prestigious than Salamanders," James deadpanned.

The door opened then and Mrs Lupin popped her head in. "Hello," she smiled at them all. Remus' little brother detached himself from her side and charged into the living room. "Remus, we're going out for dinner tonight, so we'll have to make a move once I've had a cuppa. Will you watch your brother for half an hour?"

"Mum..." Remus gave a long suffering sigh. "Oh, all right!" He grimaced at the other boys as his brother bounded right up to Dawn and smiled disarmingly.

"Hey, you're that pretty girl at the train," he blurted. "I'm Romulus."

Dawn blushed at his description of her and put on her friendliest smile. "Hi, Romulus. I'm Dawn. And how old are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm six," he said proudly. "I'll be seven in April, Mum says that's not very far away."

"No, it isn't," Dawn agreed. He settled himself comfortably on the lounge, so close he was almost in Dawn's lap and Sirius felt an irrational stab of jealousy as his girlfriend turned her back on him to continue chattering away with Romulus.

Remus groaned and spoke to the other Marauders in a low voice that Dawn, deep in discussion with Romulus about all the best presents to get for a seventh birthday, didn't even register. "He's bloody shocking. A couple of days before Christmas he had Isabel all but convinced to drop me for him. Honestly, I don't think I'll ever have her round for dinner again long as he's about!"

Sirius frowned and tried to loop a possessive arm about Dawn's waist, but she shrugged him off as a distraction from her conversation. He let out a soft growl. Romulus grinned cheekily at Sirius before Dawn had returned her attention to him. The Marauders watched as Dawn completely forgot them, captivated by the childlike babble of her little companion. Remus' face held the eternally annoyed expression of an older brother, though James looked slightly amused by the entire situation. Peter's eyes had narrowed at the child, he was snatching up marshmallows from the dwindling supply in the bag and shoving them into his mouth ferociously. Sirius' blue eyes glittered coldly, he knew it was completely ridiculous to feel threatened by a six year old, but the way Dawn seemed to just forget he was even next to her drove him insane.

Romulus cast a glance around the room, searching for mischief. He pouted at Dawn, brown eyes glowing with innocent heartbreak. "How come everybody else got hot chocolate but me? I really like the marshmallows!" his lower lip jutted out, trembling.

Dawn immediately whirled around and plucked the bag of marshmallow's out of Peter's dumbstruck hands. "You've had enough," she said crisply. "Here you go, Romulus. Is that better?"

He nodded happily, his eyes fixed on Peter and daring him to speak up as he slowly, teasingly popped the marshmallows into his mouth one after the other. Remus just shrugged apologetically. Finally, just as the boys (even Remus) were considering stuffing Romulus into a barrel and rolling him down a mountainside, Mrs Lupin popped her head back in.

"Time to go, boys. Have you been good, Romulus?" she fixed a stern eye on her youngest.

"He's gorgeous!" Dawn piped up enthusiastically. "Can I keep him?"

Sirius started coughing loudly. Mrs Lupin smiled at her as Remus slowly got to his feet. "Come on, Rom, we've got to get going."

But Romulus ignored him, turning a pleading stare to Dawn one last time. "Can I have a hug?"

"Of course you can!" Dawn pulled him into her arms for a tight hug. Romulus looked over her shoulder, straight at Sirius, and poked his tongue out. Sirius went brick red with rage, he reached for his wand, but James kicking his shin at the last minute brought him to his senses. It wasn't right to hex a six year-old. Even if that six year-old was doing a bloody good job of stealing his girlfriend right under his nose.

"Bye, everyone. See you on the train," Remus called.

"Bye Remus," they all returned, Dawn waving back at Romulus' enthusiastic goodbye wave. Then the door swung closed.

"Little devil," Sirius muttered.

Dawn sighed. "What a little cutie."

* * *

**A.N.** I love reviews... subtlety is not my strongest point.

Anoron


	19. Imitation Of Life

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the property of Joss Whedon, Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling, and Imitation of Life is by REM. I make no money (happy now?)

**A.N.:** Sorry these chaps have been slow coming, I feel like I haven't slept in a month. This is just a short one again, too. Kind of a transitional thing while I got into gear for the next level of the story (so I'm sorry if it sux). I love reviewers, so keep that up please: begs

Anoron

**Reviewers:**

**Sonofgloin**- Glad you appreciate my weird sense of pranking. And I hope you were 200, that would be so cool! XX

**Kit**- Thanks for the ideas about the snow pics popping up later. It just might happen.

**Angelus Cado**- I'm glad you're enjoying, I do try to update whenever I can, but unfortunately I've been a bit lax lately. Sorry. Will try harder.

**Phoenix83ad**- Now I keep thinking of that episode of 'Friends' you alluded to; "We were on a break!!!" Hey, another Tara fan! I loved Tara too (she was a much, much lovelier character than Willow). Figured there'd be a few of you who identified with the 'cute little boy' act, one way or the other. I actually based Romulus on my Dad's partner's 5 y.o. son, so I've learned the hard way this last year what it's like not to be the baby anymore! And it was a mix with Rom, he was being cute and genuinely liked Dawn, but in true little sibling style, he was always up for a bit of mischief that would get to the male Marauders! The dreams Dawn keeps having are sort of a link, sort of not. Something big MAY come of it in future chapters, but for now all I'm trying to do is establish Dawn's powers in Divination, which will continue to develop and change as she does so eventually she will not only see what's happening in Sunnydale, but she'll get flashes of a HP future as well... I'm working on it. Voldemort will pop up when I think of something to do with him (I'm not so good at working with him for some reason, it really bugs me!) Thanks for the review, did I mention I love big reviews? XX

**Mademoiselle Morte**- Well I just couldn't bear to break them up now, could I? LOL

**Eleclya111**- I'm glad you liked the lighter chapter! It was surprisingly more heavy going to write than all the crap I put them through in Chapters15/16!

**Lunawolf**- Little kids (especially the cuties) have that effect on most girls I think! And Rom was fun to work with.

**Clcountry**- Damn you! Making me feel the need to go down storylines I promised myself I wouldn't! You've made it so I can't stop thinking about bringing the Scoobies in now! But don't stop reviewing just coz I yelled at you! Inspiration is a good thing.

**Allen Pitt**- Look to the first option for the possibilities of the sequel's setting you mentioned. My theory was this with Buffy- yeah, she'd want to quit, she's probably even try, but she's a Slayer. No matter how much she wants to give it up (look at season 1 in particular and a bit of season 2 i.e. 'What's My Line') she eventually comes back to it because it's an inescapable part of who she is. So in the long run, it works out the same as heading into season 6, only instead of being depressed about her resurrection, Buffy's major life gripe is the loss of Dawn. And I am thinking of a way that the Scoobies will know Dawn's 'alive and well', it will probably be resolved by the end of this story if my sketchy plans come to fruition! Thanks for the review & the thoughtfulness as always.

**Yoshocrow**- Thanks for the review & questions. I might not have made it all clear enough, but Dawn is dreaming events as they happen in Sunnydale (and in the case of Connor's birth, L.A.) It's basically just developing her skills in Divination that may or may not come in useful for the future of the Hogwarts crew... ;-)

**SiriusEarendil**- Hehe. You know I'm enjoying your split personality dilemma between Sirius and Remus... Sorry, but I doubt I'll be making it easier on you anytime soon! This is the evil personality talking, by the way!

**Eyexcandy**- Yeah, I did do the almost break-up just to scare you! Flame your life away, it all banks up in the review tally! LOL

**Daydreamer04**- Glad you liked little player in training Romulus! Sorry the update took a while!

**FunkyWitchOnFire**- Dude, that is the coolest name I've seen all week! Thanks for the review, I promise I'm always writing more whenever I can!

**Janine**- Thank you, when people tell me I've done something in a realistic way it is the best encouragement! I'm glad you're enjoying the story and thanks for the review (I like reviews, by the way)

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

**Imitation Of Life**

"I don't even know what to look for," Dawn admitted, pulling her robes tighter around her. The castle halls were draughty in winter as it was and the fact that it was about 2AM made the air downright icy.

Sirius shrugged. "We'll know when we see it, Kitten. Just have that parchment and quill ready to write it down if Wormtail and I find anything, ok?" He tossed a tired grin over his shoulder before returning to his task as he and Peter searched the seventh floor hall for any hidden rooms or passages they hadn't yet discovered.

Dawn sighed and began to pace back and forth. She hadn't realised that researching this map idea of Remus' would be so much hard word, and endless late nights. All she wanted was a hot bath and a warm bed. She whirled to keep pacing and stopped short. There was a door between the really bug vase and the window she was certain hadn't been there a minute ago.

"Hey, a door!"

Sirius and Peter turned to look at the new door. Dawn turned the handle and gave a cautious push. When she laid eyes on the enormous bed and much, much larger bathtub steaming and overflowing with bubbles, she gasped.

"It's like it read my mind." She wandered dreamily into the room that seemed to be offering everything she wanted right at that moment on a silver platter. There was even an extra large block of chocolate beckoning at her from the bedside table. Dawn bounced up and down on the mattress experimentally.

"Where did all this come from?" Sirius asked, casting an approving eye about the pocket of cosiness they'd stumbled upon.

"I don't know," Dawn replied, slapping Peter's hand away from the block of chocolate he'd been stalking. "I was just pacing in between the vase and the window, thinking how all I wanted was a hot bath and a warm bed, and boom- instant pampering."

"So this room appears here when you want something?" Peter asked, rubbing at his slap-marked hand.

"Pretty much," Dawn yawned. "Maybe we should ask Locky if the House-Elves know anything about it next time we're down at the Kitchens... So can we call it a night yet?"

A devious little smile flickered over Sirius' face. "Not just yet," he said quickly. "Wormtail, why don't you head back to the dorms and see if the other guys have finished in the dungeons yet? We'll be along a little later, I just want to do a couple of experiments on this room while we're here."

Peter nodded, almost reluctantly, and made his way towards the door. When it had closed behind him, Sirius turned his wolfish grin on Dawn. She bit her lip, recognising the hungry, almost predatory manner that had come over him the second they were alone.

"Alone at last," he murmured, drawing a smile from Dawn. They'd been searching the upper levels of the castle alone the two previous nights since their return to Hogwarts, while Peter, Remus and James concentrated on the dungeons. But when on both occasions they'd returned to the dorm late, dishevelled, and without results the other boys had had enough. So tonight Remus and James had sent Peter along like a faithful watchdog to keep an eye on them.

Dawn leaned over to kiss him slowly. "Mmm- I've been wanting to do that all night."

"I've been wanting you to do that all night, too," Sirius agreed. Then his cheekiness returned, he glanced pointedly between Dawn and the steaming bath still waiting patiently to be used. He dropped his voice to a husky whisper. "Weren't you saying something about wanting to take a bath? Sounds like a pretty good idea to me..."

Dawn's eyes widened in comprehension. "You... you don't mean... that we should... together... in there... naked?" she blushed at the embarrassing, terrifying, intriguing prospect.

"That's the general idea, Kitten," Sirius confirmed, a touch of amusement in his voice. His fingers reached out and deftly flicked the clasp of her robes open. "It'll be fun, and I promise you I'll be on my best behaviour. You know, if you want to."

Dawn chewed her lip as she considered the proposition. "You won't look? You promise?"

"Marauders' Honour." He slid her robes off her shoulders.

Dawn waited until he had his back turned, making sure he wasn't peeking. Then she hastily undressed and took refuge in the cover of the hot water. She swam around the tub, pretty sure if it got any bigger it would fall into the category of an Olympic swimming pool and was careful not to look back until she heard the little splash signifying Sirius' entry into the water. He swam over and brushed a couple of stray bubbles out of her wet hair.

"See? This is fun, isn't it?"

She nodded, then giggled. Before Sirius could figure out what was so funny, he'd been kissed, splashed in the face and Dawn had dived under water and shot away. Once he'd managed to clear the water and bubbles from his vision, Sirius gave chase and they played happily in the water that never seemed to get cold or run out of bubbles.

When they tired of the game, they floated lazily around, talking about nothing in particular but enjoying the peace and the comfortable companionship they'd been able to find in just being together. When too much time had worn away for them to ignore and their fingers had shrivelled like prunes, Dawn and Sirius figured their shared bath had come to an end. Dawn looked around the edge of the bath, and all of a sudden realised there were no towels or robes for them to wrap themselves in to dry.

"There's no-" Dawn began, then stopped short. A large stack of fluffy white towels had appeared at the edge of the bath. "Towels," she finished lamely.

She looked to Sirius, who obediently, if a little reluctantly, turned his back again while she climbed out, wiped the excess bubbles from her skin and wrapped herself securely in one of the long bath sheets. She called back an all-clear to Sirius, pleased to note that he'd behaved like the perfect gentleman he was with her most of the time. By the time he was out of the water and into his own towel, she'd set herself up propped on the pillows of the large bed. The block of chocolate was opened and resting on her stomach as Sirius climbed up and stretched out alongside her.

"You know, much as I loved the Observatory, I think this is going to have to go into the record books as my favourite room at Hogwarts," Dawn popped a square of chocolate into her mouth.

"I can respect that," Sirius agreed. He reached out for the chocolate, but Dawn slapped his hand away as smartly as she had done with Peter. When he pouted, she relented with a sigh and slid a square of it into his mouth.

"Come on," Sirius snorted when he'd swallowed the small morsel she'd allowed him. "You can't tell me you'd really be able to finish that entire block off all by yourself."

Dawn regarded it critically. It was incredibly big. But then it was chocolate. She nodded. "Easily."

"I dare you."

Sirius watched, awestruck, as Dawn proceeded to snap off long rows of chocolate squares and devour them one after the other. When she finished, she tossed the wrapper aside and smirked in triumph.

"That has got to be the most brilliant thing I've ever seen a girl do," Sirius informed her frankly and then he kissed her. After a minute, he pulled back. "And there's that whole upside of you now tasting like chocolate, too."

With a little giggle, Dawn pulled Sirius closer so she could snuggle into him. They had planned on going back to Gryffindor tower so that they wouldn't be too greatly missed, but it was so late and they were tired, warm and far too comfortable together. Next thing either of them knew, the weak greyness of early morning greeted them as they awoke together.

"Oops," Dawn yawned. "Our bad."

"Damn shame, that," Sirius mumbled back, his hand tangling in the still-damp strands of Dawn's hair to urge her face up to his. "But there's nothing we can do about it now."

"So this is your 'experiment'?" a loud voice boomed. "A bathtub, some towels and a block of chocolate?"

"James!" Dawn bolted upright and clutched at her towel.

James smirked and tossed the discarded chocolate wrapper he'd come across aside. "This is exactly why we told Wormtail he shouldn't have left you two alone."

Remus shook his head in mock disapproval before he began to wander about the discovered room to investigate for himself. Dawn half expected him to take out a camera and start snapping away like a detective at a crime scene. James was regarding her and Sirius so shrewdly it made her blush; he was mentally piecing together what might have unfolded between them and evidently reaching the conclusion that it was still a little too early in the relationship for him to have a little chat with Sirius about the dangers of hurting your best mate's pseudo-sister. Peter had yet to even acknowledge them, he stood just inside the doorway, pink-faced and looking pointedly away from the underdressed couple. Dawn frowned to herself. Had he just looked at the pile of jumbled clothing left by the bathtub and scowled?

Sirius yawned hugely and sat up at last. "So is there any particular reason you lot are here?" He stretched his muscles out a little. "Or do you just like interrupting and invading people's privacy?"

James smirked again. "Just checking up on you, of course. But maybe you two should think about putting your bloody clothes back on. Wormtail over there's never seen a naked girl wrapped in a towel before, I don't think the poor bloke knows what to do with himself."

Peter's blush deepened to cherry red.

* * *

"I know we've had this discussion before, but I'd like to take another moment to impress the seriousness of this situation upon you all."

James and Sirius immediately tuned out Professor McGonagall's little post-holiday lecture. Remus was paying his usual respectful attention to the Professor while Peter tried not to look completely petrified. Dawn, however, wasn't even attempting to hide the fact that she was terrified. Her wide, fear-glazed eyes were fixed on her parchment as her quill flew back and forth across it, furiously recording every word that came out of Professor McGonagall's mouth.

"Your OWLs that are coming up in June are the most important exams of your education thus far. At the moment, I estimate that the majority of you are averaging anywhere from 'Acceptable' to 'Outstanding' in the Ordinary Wizarding Level, but I will not tolerate any slackness between now and the end of the year!" McGonagall thundered, and both Dawn and Peter eeped.

Remus smiled at the little sounds coming from the seats close by him, his gaze beginning to slide over the other students in the room and focusing specifically on one, even while he continued to listen. Isabel was sitting next to Lily as usual, and while Lily was taking a couple of notes, Isabel was paying for more attention to the young Gryffindor staring back at her. Isabel smiled at Remus and all thoughts of McGonagall and the OWLs evaporated. He felt a warm blush creeping up his cheeks as he smiled back and stared into her warm chocolate eyes.

Remus continued to stare, allowing himself to become distracted by thoughts of how lovely she really was. There was a strength about her thin, athletic frame that put his mind at ease and the way her short blond hair, cropped just a little shorter than his, even, fell around her face gave her an almost womanly air. Isabel was mature. She was loving, sweet, open- minded ... He could tell her the truth about what (no, _who_, as Dawn constantly reminded him) he really was, surely. Maybe she wouldn't be afraid, maybe she'd accept him as unconditionally as a girlfriend was supposed to. Or maybe she'd slap his face and run screaming into the distance to escape the filthy monster trying to seduce her.

He sighed, deciding it was better for his health if he ended his train of thought right then and there. Then he realised he was still staring at Isabel, and the connection had gone beyond cute, beyond creepy, and was bordering on Sirius and Dawn's behaviour at their most sickeningly attentive. With a quick, sheepish grin in his girlfriend's direction, Remus forced himself to tune back into what McGonagall was saying.

"... And if you remember nothing else heading into your OWLs, it is vital you remember that," McGonagall concluded.

Biting back a groan, Remus glanced over at Dawn's sheet of parchment covered in uncharacteristically cramped, hurried writing. Thank Merlin she seemed to have got it all covered, he'd have to ask to copy her notes later. Dawn herself looked as if she'd just been delivered her last rites. Sure, McGonagall often said she was a gifted Transfiguration student and the spells they performed in class were beyond simple for her most of the time, but what about that written component? They were supposed to be able to recall every spell used in ever lesson for the past five years, four of which she hadn't even been around for? She didn't even want to think about the Charms exam.

McGonagall then launched into the actual lesson, which seemed to have a calming effect on Dawn. When there was a dinner plate set before her, and nothing but her wand and the strict instructions to turn it into a warm-blooded animal, the world just seemed to make that much more sense to her. She closed her eyes and fixed a clear picture of what she wanted to create in her mind before focusing on the plate and waving her wand.

Peter shrieked in fright and scrambled several paces away from his and Dawn's desk. Dawn grinned at the full-grown cow standing on the desk, blinking mildly at her. Then she felt the wood start to shake. She shot out of her seat to safety just in time; with a series of creaks and cracks, the wood tore and the desk collapsed. When the dust had cleared, Dawn's cow was left standing shell-shocked in the pile of rubble.

"Of course some of you may want to place your dinner plates on the floor before you begin," McGonagall said sardonically.

The rest of the class tittered and Dawn felt the blush settling over her cheeks. The Marauders, all laughing now, gave a quick round of applause and joined her as she walked cautiously over to pet the cow.

"Sorry Bessie," Dawn murmured. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Bessie?" James wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Well it was either that or Meatloaf!"

Dawn led Bessie clear of the debris so that McGonagall could repair the damaged table with a flick of her wand. Sirius showed her how to adapt a conjuring spell and she spent the remainder of the lesson conjuring grass to feed the docile cow who barely seemed fazed by the menagerie that had sprung up around her. When James' brumby reared up and bucked at her, Bessie merely gave a soft moo in reply and pulled some more grass out of Dawn's hands.

"Stop that, Glue-stick!" James called, trying to reign the brumby in. Dawn tried not to snicker too loudly at the name.

Sirius considered the dinner plate before him, and then a decisive smile settled on his face. He waved his wand, producing a bull to go with Dawn's cow. Then he noticed how sharp those horns were and his grin short-circuited.

"Er, everyone in Gryffindor might want to take their ties off," he called.

There was a great flurry of movement while everyone rushed to put anything with red on it out of sight, and Peter instinctively ducked under the repaired desk to hide. Remus grinned to himself at the way Isabel had rushed behind him, clinging to the back of his robes for protection.

James sauntered over to Lily. "Don't you worry about that pretty red hair of yours, Evans. I'll protect you." He puffed his chest out as if to prove his masculinity.

Lily raked a critical eye over the boy. "I think I'll take my chances with that bull, Potter." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and returned her attention to the puppy she'd transfigured her plate into.

Dawn watched the meeting between Bessie and the bull unfold like a soap opera. Bessie became aware of the new male, she stopped pigging out on the grass quite so much as he approached. Sirius' bull came closer, Dawn tensed when she realised just how much power would be behind those horns if they rammed into her, but it paid her no mind at all. The two animals sniffed each other experimentally and then mooed in greeting.

Dawn let out a little "Aaw." It was almost romantic. Bessie and her new bull boyfriend turned together and started munching on the grass still held limply in Dawn's hands. Dawn shifted in apprehension. A bull trying to hit on her cow was one thing, but a bull with horns that almost grazed her chin as he ate grass from her hands was entirely another. Sirius came over to help conjure enough grass for the two animals and Dawn relaxed a little under the protection of his nearness.

The bell rang and everyone abandoned their animals to begin packing up. Dawn reached out to pat Bessie one last time before she had to leave her behind to God knew what fate. Maybe she'd be turned back into a dinner plate.

"Potter, Black, a word," McGonagall called. The classroom emptied, except for the two boys and Dawn waiting for them. She wasn't walking all the way up to the Divination tower alone. McGonagall arched an eyebrow. "Your detentions begin this evening. My office, six o'clock sharp."

James and Sirius only smiled, untroubled by the news. "See you then, Professor," they chorused.

They began the slow walk up to the seventh floor. "Ok, what's the deal?" Dawn asked. "I've never seen you two accept a detention so easily before."

They shrugged. "Well from the way you and Dad told it, we've only got detention because McGonagall had to make the Malfoys think we've been punished," James pointed out.

"So it's obviously not going to be as bad as the time we had to muck out the Owlery the muggle way," Sirius continued.

"And even if we get split up, my Dad gave us something over Christmas so that it wouldn't matter," James whispered as they climbed up to the Divination tower.

"What?" Dawn breathed back, curious.

"Show you later," Sirius muttered, reluctantly reaching for the pack of tarot cards on the table. "Now are you gonna read my fortune or what?"

"I'm not the one who needs the practice," Dawn shot back with an unladylike snort. "You read your own fortune." With that, she pulled out her Charms text and concealed it behind her Dream Journal so she could study something useful discretely. James and Sirius stared at her in horror.

"What _are_ you doing?" James asked.

"Studying." Dawn did not even glance up from her page. "I'm so not ready for OWLs."

Sirius' jaw dropped. "Dawn, honey, it's January. Nobody is ready for OWLs."

She ignored his words, propping her book up as a flimsy barrier against the distractions trying to talk to her. Sirius and James shared a look and shrugged. Without Dawn to guide them and, well, do their work for them, neither knew exactly what to do with the deck of cards Sirius was still absently shuffling. In the end, James grabbed another deck to add to it and they settled on 'Go Fish'.

"Have you got a King of Cups?"

"Go fish. Got a Death card?"

"Fish. Queen of Hearts?"

"Bugger."

Dawn's book inched down to reveal a stony face. "Guys, I know it's only Divination, but some of us actually are trying to work here.

Both boys looked down, shrinking in their seats like chastised children. Their dejected poses tugged at Dawn's heartstrings.

"Oh, all right. Deal me in."

They beamed at her as if she'd just told them they could have ice-cream for dinner. Dawn put her books aside and held up a finger.

"Just _one_ game, and then we all have to get some work done," she said sternly, trying to save face by putting off a concession of total defeat.

"Of course, Kitten," they patronised.

* * *

Dawn had decided she would wait up for Sirius and James no matter how late their detention ran. It was only fair, after all, considering the detentions had been earned protecting her honour and Dawn was eager for the chance to get some solid studying in while she waited.

She'd had an early dinner with them at five o'clock, and an hour later when they were knocking on the door to McGonagall's office, she was just curling up by the Common Room fire with her Defence Against the Dark Arts book. To her surprise, the two detainees strolled through the portrait-hole at seven-thirty, before most of the other students had even returned from dinner.

"You two didn't run out on Professor McGonagall, did you?" Dawn frowned. "'Cause you know she's gonna catch ya."

They only laughed. "No Kitten, she let us go," James promised. "I had to clean out the Transfiguration classroom while Padfoot took care of the Charms room."

"Uh-huh," Dawn said slowly. "And what's the catch?"

Sirius twirled his wand around in his fingers. "Well it was a little odd that she forgot to confiscate both our wands ... It took us about two minutes to _Scourgify_ our rooms and then we spent our time planning a nice welcome back from the holidays gift for Malfoy."

Dawn frowned. "I'm not going to ask what you're going to do to Malfoy so I can honestly say I don't know anything about it, but how did you manage to talk about it when you were halfway across the castle from each other?"

James just grinned and jogged out of sight upstairs, Sirius slipped a mirror out of his robe pocket and into Dawn's hands.

"What, do I have something in my nose?"

He laughed. "No, baby. Just look into it and say 'James'."

"Ok then ... James."

Dawn jumped and almost dropped the mirror. When she looked into it, James' face was framed in the glass, grinning up at her. "Hey, Kitten! Like what my Dad gave me and Padfoot?"

"Very cool," Dawn approved. "Now will you get back down here, it's creepy seeing your face when I look in the mirror!"

Dawn spent the next few days in silent suspense. She kept waiting for something terrible and terribly funny to happen to Malfoy, but every morning he still stalked into the Great Hall as of he owned the castle. And every evening before his detention he still held court at the Slytherin table, rhapsodising to all who'd listen about why Mudbloods and traitors had ruined the school.

And then one day, when Dawn was least expecting it, the blond Slytherin in question looked decidedly uncomfortable when he arrived, late, for breakfast. Dawn studied the uncharacteristic wash of colour in his cheeks and the way his well-known interest in Sirius' older cousin Narcissa had taken a sharp downturn with mild interest. She arched a 'please explain' eyebrow at the boys.

"Thought you didn't want to know," James said.

"Changed my mind- it's a girl thing. Spill."

They all snickered. "We found a new use for the Shrinking Charm," Remus said almost conversationally.

"What-?" Dawn's eyes grew impossibly large. "Oh!"

"He won't be trying to rape anyone for a while, at least," Sirius reasoned, giving Dawn's hand a quick squeeze when he noticed her wince. He knew she was doing much better these days, and their little bath together was proof that she was much more comfortable, but she still didn't like to talk much about what she'd been put through. He was sure she'd talked it out with Lily and Isabel, though, and he had his suspicions she'd confided in Remus more than once, but he didn't mind in the least. Whatever made her feel better, helped her get it out of her system, couldn't be a bad thing in his mind. And there were some things that she just couldn't share with him sometimes, any more than he'd go confiding in her about how crazy he sometimes got, having her so close and yet not being able to have her as fully as he wanted. It was an unspoken compromise he'd willingly accepted.

"Is it ... Is it a permanent charm?" she asked, curious.

"Unfortunately, no. organic things can't be permanently shrunk," Remus supplied, absently wondering if he should offer her a quill and parchment to take notes. She might want to write that down for in case she needed to know for her OWLs.

"Well, does..." Dawn started giggling madly, turning her face into Sirius' shoulder to hide her blush.

"Oh Merlin," Sirius muttered. "This is going to be one of those embarrassing, ridiculous questions that should be saved for girls' dorms and sleepovers, isn't it?"

She nodded, still overcome with her giggles. "If ... If Shrinking Charms don't work permanently ... What about ..." More giggling. "What about ... Engorgement Charms?"

James, Sirius and Remus all rolled their eyes. Girls. Remus cleared his throat. "I'm not sure, Kitten. Can't say I've ever tried it, personally. I suppose it's be true, Hagrid's still having troubles with his Halloween pumpkins."

"No, they don't work," Peter supplied sadly.

Dawn stared at him for a full ten seconds, wondering how he knew for sure that an Engorgement Charm couldn't help a guy out in that way. Then she returned her face to the sanctuary of Sirius' shoulder, shaking and biting the inside of her mouth to keep from outright laughter. It really wouldn't be appropriate to laugh about that, Xander had always been adamant that people should never joke about size. Of course, Xander had never known he'd said anything on the subject within earshot of innocent, delicate little Dawn. She'd just accidentally on purpose overheard the conversation her sister had been having with her friends. From the looks on their faces, the other three boys seemed to share Xander's sentiments. James and Remus were looking at Peter with a thinly veiled mix of pity and disgust and had evidently lost their appetites. That was a big deal, especially for James.

Sirius was trying to elbow Dawn discretely. "You shouldn't laugh, Kitten. It's one of those sacred topics," he hissed in her ear, though Peter hadn't seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary as he continued his breakfast.

"I know," Dawn choked, controlling herself with a superhuman effort. "Sorry. I'll behave now."

Remus just shrugged at her before he went to sit with Isabel for a change of scenery ... and conversation. "Morning," she chirped, kissing his cheek.

"Good morning," Remus wound his fingers through hers, thrilled with the small comfort of even being able to do that. He'd never considered he'd be able to have a girlfriend, given his condition, but dating Isabel had come as naturally to him as Quidditch did to James. If only honesty came to him so easily, life would be fairly well perfect. Remus pushed the dark thoughts that had clouded over his face aside and walked with the other Gryffindors down to Potions.

The Slytherins had already gathered; Dawn instinctively checked her robe pocket for her wand as she slid into the seat next to Remus. She was certain Malfoy had told at least some of them about what had happened just before Christmas, and she hadn't really had to face any of them so closely since, what with the holidays and all.

Bellatrix's dark eyes glittered, her calculating stare trained on Dawn. But Dawn had stood up to her once before, and since the first time she'd told Bellatrix to back off, it had become a little easier to do. Blue eyes hardened and her jaw set insolently. The challenge was accepted, and neither girl was willing to break the staring contest.

Finally, Bellatrix stood to make her move. Every movement was slow and deliberate, Dawn's chin lifted a notch in defiance as the bigger girl stalked over, and Dawn's fingers closed around he wand. Bellatrix leaned over Dawn, resting her fisted hands heavily on either side of Dawn's empty cauldron.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Lucius, Mudblood," she hissed. "You and the two blood-traitors."

Dawn stood up, glaring. "And my little dog too? Try it." She arched an eyebrow. Malfoy himself knew he didn't have a chance at getting revenge on Dawn with Dumbledore watching his every move and she didn't think his friends would get too far, either.

A scowl settled over the dark-featured face, the voice remained low and snake-like. "The Dark Lord is very angry about this; he'll make sure you get what's coming to you, one way or another."

By contrast to Bellatrix's low threats, Dawn's voice carried clearly across the dungeon. "And how do you know what Voldemort's planning, Bella? Hang out with him a lot?"

The entire class froze at the sound of meek little Dawn Summers, second in timidity only to Peter Pettigrew, saying 'Voldemort' out loud. She hadn't even flinched. Not to mention the insinuation that Bellatrix Black was somehow connected to the dark wizard. Deep colour flooded Bellatrix's face. She raised her wand. So did Dawn, James and Sirius. Remus was on his feet, too.

"Enough!" Lily snapped, storming over. "All of you just sit down!"

Bellatrix snorted. "Why would I listen to a Mud-"

"Two reasons," Lily interrupted firmly, trying to ignore the growl that had come from a little to her left, where James stood. "First, I'm a Prefect so all I have to so is say the word for you to find yourself on detention. And secondly, you're really, really outnumbered this time."

The Slytherin considered a moment before withdrawing with a deep scowl. Even with Rodolphus Lestrange and Severus Snape backing her up, they were still outnumbered by the swarm of Gryffindors. Only when all was clear did the Gryffindor lot break ranks.

"That was so scary," Dawn whispered to Remus as they sank back into their seats.

"I know, but you did well," Remus returned, absently reorganising their books around their cauldrons.

"Thanks," Dawn breathed. She hesitated, then plunged in. "Um, how's with you and Isabel? You looked a little upset about something at the end of breakfast."

Remus flashed dulled amber eyes in Dawn's direction. "I was just wishing I could tell her. I really want to and I know I should, she deserves the truth," he mumbled. "But I'm afraid."

Dawn looked down. She wished she could tell him it'd be ok, but she just didn't know that for sure. She'd never forgive herself if she told him that and it all turned out to be a big lie. She patted his hand pathetically. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Not yours, either."

He smiled then.

_

* * *

_

_The autumn leaves crunched underneath her feet as she took tentative steps forward. Dawn had been standing outside Godric's Hollow from the minute she closed her eyes to sleep. But the scene of the mid-autumn night around her was hazed, blurred, like it was a long way away from her or something._

_The white cotton nightie from Mrs Potter billowed ominously in the breeze, ghostly in the clouded moonlight. Dawn took a few more steps up the drive, not quite sure what was going to happen, or what was supposed to happen next. Sounds and visions assaulted her in response to her unasked question, bombarding her all at once. She couldn't be sure what had come first; the man's shouts, the woman's screams, the baby's cries, the high-pitched cackle or the explosion that shook her very bones. She'd closed her eyes against the onslaught, when she opened them again her whole body slackened with horror._

_Dawn sank to the ground before the smouldering ruins of Godric's Hollow. And then she saw it again- bright green. Innocent eyes and a lightning bolt scar._

* * *

Dawn shuddered as she opened her eyes, enveloped in the darkness of the girls' dorm. The tears were already cascading down her face.

"Oh God. No."

Not caring if she woke the other girls or not, and not caring that she'd vowed never to let James or Sirius see her in _that_ nightie again if she could at all prevent it, Dawn fought clumsily through her curtains. Her feet collided with the floor and she stumbled along, almost blinded by the tears. She pushed into the boys' dorm and straight over to Sirius' bed.

Sirius' first impression when he woke up was that someone had gone and dumped water all over him. How else was the wet patch spreading rapidly over the chest of his shirt to be explained? Then he realised there was a quivering American trying to burrow that little body of hers right through him.

"Dawn?" He shifted, trying to relieve some of the pressure she was unknowingly placing on certain sensitive areas while still wrapping his arms around her. "Baby, what is it?"

She wrapped both her arms and legs around him for comfort, if she wasn't crying it would've been heaven for him. "Dream," she sobbed. "Godric's Hollow. Laughter. Screaming. Baby crying. Explosion," she relayed, unable to get more than a word or two out at a time in explanation.

Luckily, Sirius had learned to interpret Dawn's distressed post-dream babble. It didn't take him long to figure out that she'd dreamed about Godric's Hollow. That she'd heard laughter (presumably Voldemort's), that someone had been screaming and there had been a baby crying in the house before the explosion. And then he was in a state of near-panic himself.

"Voldemort's after the Potters?" Just saying it aloud almost made him want to vomit.

Dawn twitched in his arms. "Think so. But not now. Had a feeling like it was a long way off," he voice crackled.

"Still," Sirius pressed, not willing to take the chance. Not with the Potters. "You should write it in your Journal tomorrow, and we'll tell Dumbledore about it, too."

"Ok," Dawn sniffled. "What about James?"

"I guess we might have to tell him too. We'll let him know after we've got Dumbledore to check on Mr and Mrs P at their house. If it really is a long way off, no sense in making him worry."

"Mm-hmm," Dawn returned, wiping at her face.

Sirius helped her out by kissing the last droplets of saltwater away. "Staying here?" he whispered, already knowing she wouldn't be leaving tonight even if she wanted to. He wasn't letting her out of his sight with the state she was in.

"Will you hold me?" she asked in a little voice.

"Never let you go," he promised, pulling her even closer and arranging them around each other. Dawn buried her face in his neck, one hand reaching up to absently twirl a lock of his longish hair around her fingers. Sirius waited until she was fully asleep to untangle her legs from around him and hopefully save them both a rather embarrassing wake-up call in the morning.

Dawn woke him so ridiculously early he felt as if he'd just gone to sleep and if it wasn't obvious that she hadn't gotten any real sleep at all, he'd have seriously considered kicking her out of his bed and rolling over. Instead he yawned, kissed her good morning and told her to meet him in the Common Room when she was dressed and ready.

A while later they found themselves in the familiar setting of Professor Dumbledore's office, Dawn curled in a chair and relating the dream she'd had in as much detail as she could remember. Dumbledore listened in silence as Dawn explained what she'd Seen, nodding his head to encourage her. Only when she was done did he open his mouth to speak.

"Well Dawn, I can assure you there was no disturbance at the Potter residence overnight. And from the description you gave, you have had a vision of an event that _may_ come to pass years from now. Remember it, but do not let the images you have seen trouble you my dear," he advised.

Sirius' eyes flashed angrily. In the seat next to Dawn, he straightened. She had just come in and told him about a truly disturbing vision she'd dreamed, and all Dumbledore could say was 'don't worry about it'? Sirius was not at all satisfied. Nor, apparently, was Dawn.

"But Professor, shouldn't we be doing something about this?" she pressed. "I don't care if it's years from now, I'm not going to just sit back and let something bad happen! People have visions of bad things so they can stop them from actually happening. Besides, even a concrete prophecy can be thwarted, Buffy does –did- it all the time!"

Dumbledore held up a hand to ward off further protests; it looked as if Sirius intended to pick up where his girlfriend left off. "Now do you really think I intend to take no further precautions in light of this new possibility? I will speak to Mr Potter today and advise him to add to the protection spells that guard Godric's Hollow, of course."

Both students looked down sheepishly.

"So, if that satisfies the both of you, off you go then. I have a floo call to make," Dumbledore smiled. "And Miss Summers, I am aware that your upbringing was rather unique, but I must remind you that the Wizarding world is on the verge of war. And whatever your talents, experiences and instincts may be, war is no place for someone so young as yourself."

Dawn bit her lip and looked down. She was being told the same thing she'd heard a million times in Sunnydale- there were all these important things going on around her, and she wasn't allowed to help with any of them. If possible, she suddenly felt even worse than when she had come into the office.

"Yes Professor," she mumbled, not looking at him. It was still much too early to head down to breakfast, so they returned to the Common Room to curl up in front of the fire together.

Dawn sighed. "What am I going to tell James?"

"Hmm?" Sirius jerked upright as if he'd been caught dozing. He was still groggy as he tightened his hold on Dawn. "What do you mean?"

She snuggled into him. "About my vision. I mean, 'by the way, James, I saw your childhood home destroyed in my dreams' isn't the best follow-up to a good morning."

"Don't tell him then," Sirius shrugged. "You heard what Dumbledore said, this is just something that might or might not happen years from now. Besides, the Potters don't even have a baby. What good would it do to worry James over something so vague?"

From the way Dawn tensed and shifted away with a sharp jerk of her shoulders, Sirius started to think that maybe he'd said something wrong. the way those blue eyes of hers had flooded with hurt-tinged anger were a pretty big clue, as well. "Well I know it doesn't seem like such a big deal to you, but then you're not the one who keeps dreaming of people you care about getting hurt!"

She tried to storm off in a huff, feeling just a little ridiculous even as she did so, but Sirius made it somewhat difficult by grabbing her wrist in a firm grip. "Dawn, don't ..."

"Don't what? Be upset? I don't see why I shouldn't be, Sirius." She yanked her arm back so she could cross them both over her chest.

"I'm sorry, ok?" his voice raised a bit. Why were they arguing again? "I didn't mean to put your dreams down or anything, I just wanted to say I don't think we should worry James over things not set in stone. You said it yourself- it seemed like a lifetime away!"

Dawn looked away. Maybe he was making just a little more sense than she was. Still ... "You want me to lie to James?"

He let out a gruff sigh. "Just don't tell the truth if he doesn't need to know about it. It can't hurt him, Kitten, but we know hearing the truth will."

"Ok." She looked back at him and deflated a little. "I'm sorry, I think I just had a sleep-deprived mood swing or something. I shouldn't have acted like such a prima bi-atch."

"Bi-atch?" he smirked, and she knew she was forgiven.

She shrugged and smiled and leaned in for a kiss. The next thing either of them knew, the Common Room had grown considerably lighter around them and there was a voice trying persistently to break into their awareness.

"Oh, come on, you two. What if I had been one of the first years?"

Blinking, dishevelled, Dawn and Sirius broke apart and stared dazedly up at the slight smirk on Lily's face.

"Get a room."

**

* * *

**

**A.N.:** Next chapter is going to be big in more ways than one... just to get you all curious. Reviews are good!

Anoron


	20. Unchained Melody

**Disclaimer:** Own nothing. Buffy the Vampire Slayer et al belongs to joss Whedon, Harry Potter et al belongs to JK Rowling and Unchained Melody is by the Righteous Bros (originally, for those of you who remember that far back or, like me, just really enjoyed the movie 'Ghost')

**Rating:** Big time R. Adult themes, sexual content. Consider you warned.

**A.N.: **Ok, there is a scene in this chapter which I really, really want feedback on. You'll know it when you read it. I'm not real experienced with that sort of writing, so let me know- too much, not enough, just right? **ALL OPINIONS VALUED AND CONSIDERED**. Because I love reviews, especially honest, constructive ones.

**Reviewers:**

**Sonofgloin-** I make them good with the help of my wonderful sounding board. XX00

**Angie**- I'm just toying with you on the Remus issue (evil me). It's not going to be resolved for a few chapters yet. Mmm- good-hearted big bad...

**Daydreamer04**- Gold star for Davina, you got the Room of Requirement just right!

**Clcountry**- LOL on the leaving me alone. Just don't stop reviewing (and giving suggestions that are such food for thought!)

**PomegranateQueen**- I don't think I could keep it alive between now and the beginning of Harry's story! It's just too long for me! But fear not, the sequel set years & years later will revisit the important parts of all their lives that I skip in the middle!

**Lunawolf**- it's ok, we're going from a chapter full of ups and downs to a chapter full of ... ups. Updated ASAP (Much better than the last few times, anyway!)

**Mademoiselle Morte**- YAY a comment on the bath! I LOVED the bath scene too!

**Eleclya111**- What is this 'school' you speak of? ;-)

**Phoenix83ad**- I actually hadn't planned to let her be so strong til much later in the fic, but, in the words of Spike (_season 2, School Hard_) I just got so bored. Ah the slow, _slow_ thawing process of Lily. It's fun to slowly plant the seeds of a future flowering relationship with James. Isabel's reaction is going to be the one thing nobody will expect, I'm not saying any more on that subject, I've worked too hard on that storyline. Dunno about the HP-verse Oz though... he'd be a cool guy to hang with I'm sure! Good to have a guy's opinion on the "engorgement charm" treatment- I'd heard boys can be very sensitive about the issue and wasn't sure how the references would go down... so thanks for not saying it was outright wrong or crap. Cheers.

**Kit**- In the words of that old song (can't remember what it's actually called, but...) 'some things change, some stay the saaaaaaaaame'. All your wonderfully inquisitive questions (I love when people admit they've given good, strong thought to my work) will be answered in due time. If you can't wait for due time, email me for some sequel spoilers.

**Brownies are yummy**- I updated!

**Kat**- Sorry about the lack of emails, I've had assignments coming out of my butt! I will try to soon as I can, I promise! Nice to hear from you again, and no I think you scared the mean reviewer away! (sniggering at the memory) Take care, Kat, Love Anoron XX00

**Christa**- The Peter issue... next chapter. I'll say no more. Glad you're enjoying the latest offerings, I'll try to come up with more soon ... Especially the flashbacks, considering I know exactly what has happened with all our characters between the conclusion of this part and the beginning of the sequel, I've really just got to get it on paper now. Take care. And good luck with political overload (we just had that crap down under, I voted for Bob the Builder... maybe he can fix it?) XX00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

**Unchained Melody**

_Oh my love, my darling_

_I've hungered for your touch_

_A long, lonely time_

_And time goes by so slowly_

_And time can do so much_

_Are you still mine?_

_I need your love, I need your love_

_God speed your love to me_

_Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea_

_To the open arms of the sea, yeah_

_Lonely rivers sigh 'wait for me, wait for me'_

_I'll be coming home, wait for me_

_Oh my love, my darling_

_I've hungered, hungered for your touch_

_A long, lonely time_

_And time goes by so slowly_

_And time can do so much_

_Are you still mine?_

_I need your love, I need your love_

_God speed your love to me_

Lily and Isabel were huddled in a corner of the Common Room, their heads bent over stacks of books and other tools of research. Dawn wandered over and plopped down beside them.

"Hey guys, what're you doing?" she craned her neck to try and read over Isabel's shoulder.

"Muggle Studies major project," Lily murmured, eyes still flying across the page. "We've got til a week before OWLs to get a muggle CD to play music."

"Buy a stereo," Dawn suggested.

Isabel smiled. "Well a stereo would be great if we could get it to work amongst all the magical interference at Hogwarts. It'll probably be easier in the long run to just work a spell to get the CD to work on its own."

"Oh," Dawn replied, then flipped her book open to get a bit of study in herself. She could understand Isabel taking a Muggle Studies class, with her limited knowledge of the muggle world, but Lily on the other hand ... Dawn had thought long and hard about why a muggle-born witch would need to take Muggle Studies, and still the only reason she could come up with was an easy 'Outstanding' OWL.

The three girls worked in silence until Isabel got bored and tossed her book aside. "We've only just begun and already I've had enough of this project," she groaned. "Let's think about something else for a while."

Dawn pounced on the opportunity. "Well if you really wanted to focus on something else, I could use your help with something," she confided, closing her own book and leaning in to speak quietly.

Lily looked up then, intrigued. "What?"

Dawn leaned in a little further. "It's Sirius' sixteenth birthday on Friday and somehow I don't think his family will be making such a big deal of the occasion. But I'd like to, so do you guys think you could help me out a bit? Please?"

Lily and Isabel shared a look. "What did you have in mind?"

"I want to throw him a surprise party here in the Common Room," Dawn smiled. "The other boys are really into the idea, but the more help I've got, the easier it'll be."

A smile creased Lily's lips. "That'd be fine, Dawn. And I assume you've already asked Professor McGonagall's permission?"

"You know, Lily, assume would make you an ass outta me ... Or something," Dawn replied vaguely. "Remus is going to take care of that, he's asking tonight because I also want time to invite Sirius' favourite cousin, Andromeda, too."

Isabel readied a blank sheet of parchment and in no time at all the three girls had most of the plans laid out. All they were waiting on was Remus to give the all-clear from McGonagall so that Dawn could send the letter to Andromeda and put their plans into action.

"Thanks for your help with all this," Dawn smiled, slipping the piece of parchment into her bag. "The boys promised to help, but I don't think they thought of anything beyond opening a packet of chips and scattering a few extra chairs about the Common Room."

While Lily and Isabel laughed, the portrait-hole opened and the four boys strolled in. James was red-faced and sweating from a particularly strenuous Quidditch training that the other boys had gone to watch. Remus had joined Peter and Sirius in the stands after slipping away to negotiate with their Head of House about Sirius' party. He caught Dawn's eye as the boys joined the girls and gave a discreet thumbs up. Dawn grinned and Sirius gave her an odd look.

"What are you smiling about, Kitten?"

Dawn shook her head. "Um, how was Quidditch practice? You guys have fun?"

"It was ok," he replied.

"Easy for you to say," James groaned, stretching out his muscles. "You weren't the one trying to get ready for Hufflepuff on Saturday. I'm going to take a shower. Care to join me, Evans?"

Lily's face blushed darker than her hair. "Not in this sane lifetime, Potter," the Prefect snapped before storming off to the Library to console herself with more research. The rest of the group dispersed in her wake, James jogged upstairs to the shower, Peter sat in an armchair and the two couples paired off.

Dawn cuddled up to Sirius. "I've been thinking about your birthday-"

"Dawn," Sirius moaned. Nobody had ever made such a fuss about the fact that he was born before and he wasn't too sure how to react. "I told you already, it's not import-"

Her fingers pressing against his lips cut his sentence short. "It's your sixteenth, Sirius, that's a big one where I'm from. I want you to have a good birthday, so just indulge me. Please?" she pressed her face very close to his, pink lips pouting.

"Whatever you wish, my Kitten," he relented, sneaking in a kiss.

"Good," she smiled. "I was thinking we could have quiet dinner, just the two of us like the time you took me down to the Kitchens. And the later we can have cake in the dorms with the others. Does that sound ok?"

"Sounds like I'm going to have the best birthday ever."

"That's the plan, baby."

* * *

Dawn pounded on the wooden door, a moment later she heard the booming barks and the scratches on the other side. Then it swung open and Hagrid beamed down at them.

"Dawn, Peter, lovely ter see yer both! Come on in, jus' baked a fresh batch of walnut scones, I'll serve 'em up still warm," he chattered, ushering them inside.

Dawn pushed Fang back to stop him licking her face with far too much enthusiasm, scratching him behind the ears once he was under control again. "Oh no, Hagrid, don't go to any trouble for us," she rushed out, remembering the way she'd almost lost a tooth in his rock cakes. "We can't stay too long."

Peter looked torn between knowing better than to tempt fate with Hagrid's cooking and wanting to try it anyway. He sat at the table and accepted a glass of Dandelion juice even though Dawn declined. She giggled at the way Fang attached his head to her leg and gazed lovingly up at her, seeming to enjoy having Dawn to himself without the overprotective, sometimes jealous guard of Sirius over her. When they were all comfortable, Dawn got right down to business.

"Hagrid, you don't already have plans for this Friday night, do you?" she asked out of the blue.

Hagrid blinked. He'd been asked all sorts of interesting questions during his lifetime. What species is that animal in your pocket? Where did you hide the Chimaera? Is that a Basilisk egg? But nobody had ever wanted to know if he was free on a Friday night. It made him blush.

"Er, no. No plans ter speak of, Dawn," he stammered.

She unleashed a 600 watt smile on him. "Would you like to come to Sirius' birthday party? It's going to be a surprise."

Fat tears welled in his eyes and created an almost torrential downpour on his cheeks. Dawn was thinking he'd have to wring the excess water out of his beard in a moment. "Are yer sure yer want me ter come? Tha's too kind of yer, Dawn."

"Don't be silly, Hagrid. Of course we want you to come. Right, Peter?" She glanced at the boy next to her for support and he choked on his final mouthful of juice under the attention.

"R-right," he coughed.

When he failed to elaborate, Dawn picked up the thread once more. "Sirius would love to see you there. We're trying to make sure all his friends are there and he'd miss you if you didn't come."

Hagrid sniffled and pulled out one of the handkerchiefs Dawn had sent him for Christmas. "O' course I'll come then! Can I bring anything? I'll make a fresh batch of scones, rock cakes as well-"

"No!" Dawn and Peter bellowed together.

Dawn recovered first. "You're a guest, Hagrid, you don't have to do anything but come to Gryffindor tower at seven thirty on Friday night," she said with gentle sternness.

It took Dawn and Peter five more minutes to convince Hagrid that they really, truly wanted him there and they really, truly didn't need him to bring anything. When they were finally trudging back towards the castle through the snow, Dawn's arms were laden with the bundle of scones Hagrid had insisted on wrapping for the Marauders to share.

"What are we going to do with these?" Dawn asked, looking down at her burden. "If Sirius sees them, he might want to know what we were going to Hagrid's for."

Peter thought a moment. "Tell him we just went for a visit because we felt like it," he suggested.

Dawn shook her head. "He and I always visit Hagrid together. He'd know something was up if I didn't ask him to come with me."

"I didn't know that," Peter mumbled, looking away. He suddenly felt like Dawn and Sirius had their own little world, one that went on without the rest of the universe even being aware of it. Something clenched in his stomach with the realisation that he wanted to know that world. Why should he be the one always excluded?

Dawn, oblivious to his sudden change in mood, babbled on happily. "Yeah, every other week or so Sirius and I go and see Hagrid for an hour and then we spend some time alone before dinner, and ..." She suddenly realised it wasn't very ladylike of her to divulge too much of what she and her boyfriend did in their private time. She grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, we've still got these scones to get rid of."

"We could throw them at Snivellus," Peter said, laughing as he remembered James pelting the unpopular Slytherin with Hagrid's rock cakes. He'd evidently forgotten the scolding James had copped from Dawn for his troubles, even now the blue of her eyes had gone hard like sharpened diamonds.

"That wasn't funny, Peter," she railed. "You know I don't like Snape at all, but he did nothing to deserve James throwing food at him like that. Honestly, you boys can be such jerks sometimes!"

When Dawn saw the way Peter had practically dribbled into the floor in shame, she made am effort to control her temper. She knew James and Sirius still did those sorts of things when they thought she wouldn't find out about it and she hated the thought of them being cruel, but she shouldn't take it out on Peter. He always laughed at whatever stunts the others pulled, but she'd never known him to physically attack someone himself. She nudged him playfully to coax him back to normal.

"Hey, maybe we should just use our brains and throw them in the trash."

He seemed to miraculously reinflate so rapidly at her softened tone that Dawn almost laughed as she tossed the scones in the nearest bin and gave him a friendly squeeze around his thick shoulders.

"Come on, let's go see what messes the others are getting themselves into."

* * *

Remus was feeling downright horrible on Tuesday afternoon, just a couple of hours before his transformation. He sat with his friends in the back of the Charms room while Flitwick dictated to them all about the Fidelius Charm. It sounded quite complex and interesting, but Remus was too apathetic to care. Flitwick glanced at him, but said nothing as Remus put his quill down and rested his head on his hand. Dawn was an excellent note-taker, on the full moon she always made him copies of whatever he missed.

James was secretly finalising the guest list for Sirius' party; all of Gryffindor would naturally be there, Dawn and Peter had invited Hagrid, Andromeda's reply would most likely arrive in the morning, and he and Remus had confirmed all the people Sirius was friends with in the other houses. For obvious reasons no Slytherins had been invited, but the Prewett brothers, Gideon and Fabian, were coming from Ravenclaw and a few Hufflepuffs, such as Davey Gudgeon had been ticked off from their list.

Peter's quill was plodding along in the wake of Flitwick's voice, he was biting his bottom lip in concentration as he wrote. Sirius, as always, decided he didn't need to bother with anything so mundane as note-taking because the work was beyond simple and he always remembered it all anyway. He contented himself with watching Dawn as she worked diligently, the ends of her ponytail tumbling over one shoulder to tickle her cheek, begging him to push it back just for the chance to touch her.

Dawn, meanwhile, was as fascinated by the topic as Sirius was by her. The idea that you could take a secret and hide it away inside a person and it would be locked up tighter than a bank safe astounded her. The Fidelius Charm probably would've come in handy when the Scooby gang was trying to hide the Key from Glory. Something stirred in Dawn's mind with that thought, but she couldn't pinpoint it so she pushed it aside and continued to concentrate on her notes. From the looks of Remus, she'd be needing to duplicate them later anyway, so she figured she might as well make them worth it.

The moment Flitwick concluded the lesson and asked if there were any questions, Dawn raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Summers?"

"Exactly how fool-proof is using a Secret-Keeper? I mean, are there ways around them?" she asked. She wasn't even sure why she wanted to know, something was just compelling her to find out as much as she could.

Flitwick looked delighted with her attention to the subject as he teetered on the precarious pile of books he used to see over his desk. "Oh, there are flaws in the Fidelius Charm, as there are with any spell. You see, just as a secret can be concealed inside a Secret-Keeper, that person can choose to let it out. The catch is, only the Secret-Keeper is able to divulge the secret; if they told you their secret, the magics of the charm are so strong that they would prevent you from then telling the secret to a third party."

Dawn nodded her understanding, making notes on the extra information. Remus wished he had the energy to muster a grateful smile to her attention to detail. Her hand flew into the air again and Flitwick indicated that she may speak.

"What happens when a Secret-Keeper dies? Is the secret lost forever, or is it released from the body?"

"It is released," Flitwick replied. "Those who were told the secret are no longer bound to its secrecy by the charm, they are free to tell whomever they choose."

By the time the lesson ended, Dawn had slipped into quiet thoughtfulness. The boys all recognised the look on her face, she looked just like Remus when he was beginning to devise a plan. It may not come into fruition for months, but somehow Dawn would put the information to good use.

After an early dinner, the boys all disappeared and were not seen again for the rest of the evening. Isabel had wondered where Remus had got to, so Dawn distracted her by enlisting her to help with the final stages of planning the party. They finalised the refreshments order for the House-Elves and then spent the evening creating long, coloured streamers and a '_Happy 16th Birthday, Sirius_' banner.

By the time they'd stowed the decorations carefully in the girls' dorm and gone to bed, Dawn was happy that everything seemed to be taken care of. The guests were invited, the decorations ready to go, the cake ordered and her friends had already planned the set-up of the Common Room while she distracted Sirius with dinner. When, on Wednesday, James dropped the food order off at the Kitchens and wrote to Rosmerta for a crate of butterbeer and Dawn received Andromeda's reply that she and Ted would be there with bells on (Dawn wondered if she meant literally) all was set. They had only to last until the end of the week without somebody spilling the secret.

Remus seemed to recover quickly from his monthly illness in anticipation of the festivities to come and they spent Wednesday and Thursday evenings under a pile of spell books, researching concealment charms for the Marauder's Map, which was coming along quite nicely. Distracted every two minutes by Sirius looking up from his book to ask Dawn what he was getting for his birthday like a hyperactive child, the group gave up relatively early on Thursday night and went to bed.

* * *

Sirius' first sensation on the morning of his sixteenth birthday was waking up to the blue-eyed Goddess in the little grey school skirt sitting on the tops of his legs. At first he thought he was still asleep, dreaming, but then he realised that his temperature usually didn't rise quite so rapidly when he dreamed like this. Dawn never wore so much clothing, either.

"Happy birthday!"

"Dawn, what-?"

"Your first present," she grinned, leaning over him. She kissed him deeply, but before he could start really getting into it, she pulled back and rolled off him. She grabbed the present she'd left on the bedside table and passed it across, laying back against the pillows to watch him open it.

Sirius tore hungrily into the paper and pulled out the new deluxe Dr Filibuster's fireworks package he'd been eyeing off for a couple of months. He smiled, loving the way she always seemed to remember little things like that. "Thanks, baby."

She let him kiss her again. "That's only the beginning," she told him. "We've got a whole day to get through yet."

Sirius' eyes widened. Exactly how much trouble had she gone to? He was almost afraid to ask, and lost the opportunity anyhow when his dorm-mates awoke and presented his with his next gift. He opened the large, rather flat box and the grin that was already plastered to his widened even further. They'd all chipped in and got him a dragon-hide jacket, black with a red undertone when the light caught it in just the right way.

'Guys, I don't even know what to say," Sirius blurted, running his hands down the lapels of his jacket.

"'Thanks' would be a good start," James laughed. He clapped a hand to Sirius' shoulder. "Happy birthday, mate."

"Thanks," Sirius said, allowing a rare moment of sincerity to pass between himself and his friends.

Dawn kept surprising him with gifts throughout the entire day, usually when he was least expecting it. He'd swivelled around in his seat to lend Peter a hand with his Transfiguration, and when he turned back to his own place, another perfectly wrapped box was waiting for him. He looked up to see if McGonagall was close enough to deduct points if he stopped paying attention to the vanishing spell he'd already proven he could do anyway, but the way her lips were twitching violently with the effort of restraining a smile convinced him he'd get away with it. Just this once. He unwrapped the chunky silver chain, like the ones he'd seen muggle boys his age wearing and immediately fastened it about his neck.

By the end of the day he'd also acquired a few new shirts, a pair of boxers with little paw prints on them, a leather wallet that also had a magical compartment for storing galleons, and an assortment of knick-knacks and sweets from Zonko's and Honeydukes. Sirius knew Dawn's birthday wasn't until mid August, but he had a feeling he was going to need to work on it for the entire eight months between now and then just to make it half as special as she'd made his birthday.

He met her in the Common Room at seven as promised and he was wearing one of the shirts she'd given him, white with red patterns threaded across the chest, under his dragon-hide jacket. Dawn herself looked like perfection to him as she glided towards him, her black skirt floating about her legs and her blue shirt challenging the colour of her eyes. Her hair hung in ringlets that his fingers were itching to tangle themselves in and her face was fresh and clean of make-up, save for the hint of lip gloss that Sirius made a mental note to kiss off at the very first opportunity he got.

Dawn reached up and ran a hand down the chest of his shirt. "You like it, then?"

"I love it," he corrected. "Dawnie, this has been the most amazing-"

She silenced him with a finger to his lips. "It's not over yet. Not even close. Dinner?"

She took his hand and led him down to the Kitchens, where a gaggle of House-Elves chorused "Happy birthday, Sir Padfoot!" Then Locky, beaming with the honour of being the chosen one, ushered the couple into their private little room. Sirius smiled. The room looked much the same as it had for their first date, though instead of candles their table was illuminated by the clusters of live, glowing fairies that gathered around them.

Dinner itself was a two-person buffet of all Sirius' favourite dishes. One of the House-Elves had even made a triple cheeseburger and a serving of fries for him to choose from. Dawn laughed as he proceeded to pile a serving of every dish on the table onto his plate, only taking some of the chicken casserole that tasted just like Mrs Potter's for herself. Sirius was feeling incredibly full by the time he'd sampled every dish on offer, but when Locky popped up with crepes and ice-cream for dessert, his appetite seemed to miraculously renew itself.

Dawn sneaked a glance at her watch to be sure they were on schedule before suggesting they head back towards Gryffindor tower to walk off dinner before having cake with the others. Dawn thanked Locky, who was almost bawling with joy, and the House-Elves all called out another "Happy birthday Sir Padfoot," as they left.

When they stepped into the corridor, Sirius stopped Dawn for a moment. He kissed her once to show his appreciation, and twice just because he wanted to while they still had some privacy before they linked hands and strolled through the castle.

* * *

"Surprise!"

Sirius froze. Every Gryffindor in the school, and then some were crammed into the Common Room, and they were all grinning at him. The fifth years were at the forefront of the crowd and with them was someone he hadn't expected to see at least until the Summer.

"Andi," he blurted stupidly.

"Hey there, little cousin," she grinned and kissed his cheek. "Happy birthday."

"How-?" he asked weakly.

Andromeda nodded at the figure standing just behind Sirius, watching the scene unfold with silent satisfaction. He turned to stare at Dawn in awe, but before he could make a move towards her he'd been swept into the crowd. Dawn hugged Andromeda and they stood side by side to watch Sirius being passed around between his friends, hugging and shaking hands.

"I'm very impressed," Andromeda praised. "Well done."

Dawn smiled. "Glad you and Ted could make it. Decided against the bells, after all?"

For some strange reason, all the guests had decided to take their shoes off. Adopting the 'when in Rome' philosophy, Dawn and Sirius were easily persuaded to follow suit and discard their own footwear. The party was in full swing by the time Sirius had a chance to catch up with Dawn again. she was by one of the refreshment tables, chatting to Alice Wilson, a pretty Hufflepuff with a friendly face whom Frank Longbottom had insisted on inviting. Mostly because the dashing Head Boy had a gigantic crush on her.

"Hi Alice," Sirius grinned as he approached, then he slung an arm across Dawn's shoulders. "Hey baby."

"Having a good party, Sirius?" Alice asked.

"You bet! And thanks for coming."

"Ooh- I almost forgot," Dawn blurted suddenly. "Presents!"

Sirius blinked. "More presents? Again?"

She was dragging him across the room then, pushing him into a seat before a table piled high with a stack of presents from his guests. For the first time in his life, Sirius felt just a little awkward with all the attention he was receiving, though he was strangely pleased by it all the same. He reached for Andromeda and Ted's gift first. It was some time later when he finally finished and was surrounded by more gifts than he knew what to do with and a very long list of people to thank.

Even his parents had sent him something; a new set of deep blue dress robes and the most rigidly written birthday card he'd ever received, but it was more than he'd expected. Hagrid had been so pleased to be invited that he'd turned up with a pet owl for Sirius, a beautiful, deep brown bird that Sirius was thinking he'd let Dawn name.

After the cake had been cut the music rose in volume and Sirius led Dawn over to the makeshift dance floor cleared in the middle of the Common Room. He pulled her close and neither seemed willing to let the other go any time soon. After several dances, Dawn felt someone tap lightly on her shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?"

Dawn turned and smiled at Andromeda. "Not at all." She scanned the crowd and spotted Peter standing alone by a bowl of Bertie Botts Every Flavour beans. Remus was already on the dance floor with Isabel and James was trying to beg a dance with Lily (and failing spectacularly).

"Maybe Peter could use some company." Leaving the two cousins to have some time together, Dawn bounced over to Peter. He almost choked on his newspaper flavoured bean when Dawn came up from behind to seize his arm and grin broadly.

"So how 'bout a dance?"

His somewhat beady eyes widened at the prospect but he managed a swift, mute nod as Dawn walked him over near where Remus and Isabel were dancing. She helped him arrange his hands, one on her waist and the other caught in hers and they moved slowly back and forth, Dawn keeping their movements to the beat.

A deep pink had tinged Peter's cheeks and he kept his gaze lowered, not wanting her to think he was staring or anything ... Because he had no right or reason to stare. He trod on her bare feet a couple of times and he was sure it must've hurt her, but Dawn didn't say anything to draw attention to it.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's ok," she assured him. Running around cramped under the Invisibility Cloak had accustomed her toes to being squashed on a regular basis.

The dance had ended too soon for Peter's liking. Dawn smiled and thanked him, then skipped off to play the hostess and join a new conversation. Standing back in place by the food with a handful of Lemondrops five minutes later, Peter had to wonder if he'd imagined the whole thing. Dawn went over to where Candice, Michelle and James, who had been rejected by Lily quite enough for one evening, were introducing Ted to Hagrid and Nearly Headless Nick.

Ted was listening raptly to Nearly Headless Nick's tale, it seemed he'd been quick to overcome his original apprehension of talking to a dead man. He was fascinated to hear that Sir Nicholas, as he preferred to be called, had died almost 480 years previously, the result of a botched execution by beheading. When Nick showed him exactly how one could be 'Nearly Headless', Ted suddenly looked sorry he'd asked. Hagrid discussing his desire to own a dragon or a three-headed dog ("I'd name 'im Fluffy!") didn't make Ted any more comfortable. A few minutes later, Andromeda and Sirius joined them."

"Ted, honey, we should get going," Andromeda said. "You've got to start work early in the morning."

Ted almost bolted away from the ghost and the half-giant. Dawn and Sirius saw the older couple to the portrait-hole, where Andromeda hugged them both one last time for good measure. Dawn watched Sirius was he waved goodbye before closing the portrait-hole again, a blissful calm coming over her as a resolution that had been building within her for a long time was made at last.

* * *

She was looking up at him with those oceans she called eyes. Merlin, how he could get lost in those eyes. Sirius watched in silent fascination as they flickered with resolve and she had evidently just reached some decision. Still without a word, Dawn took a hold of Sirius' hand, beginning to lead him through the crowded Common Room. Sirius stopped in his tracks, refusing to take another step until she told him exactly what she was up to.

"Dawn, what-?" he began, but something about the look in her eyes as she turned her face up to him kept him quiet. He waited patiently, but was rewarded with only one word falling from her lips.

"Upstairs."

Sirius followed Dawn upstairs, all the while a strange buzzing sound in his head muted the noise of the party below and completely drowned out the soft footfalls of their bare feet on the stairs. She stopped by his bed, and the buzzing in Sirius' mind increased until it was also a ringing in his ears. Did this mean what he was praying to Merlin for it to mean? Suddenly he had to know.

"Dawn?" he whispered huskily. "Are you...? Is this...?" He trailed off, unable to complete either question.

He was not alone in the stammering department. Dawn was smiling slightly, but a demure little blush was settling over her cheeks and she couldn't quite bring herself to say the words out loud.

"Yes. I mean ... I think, no, I know ... I'm ... I'm ready ... To ..." Realising how completely inarticulate she was being and deciding that she might as well stick with it at this point, Dawn glanced up at Sirius, eyebrows raised. "Happy birthday?" she tried. She almost groaned out loud. When she'd imagined this moment in her mind (which she'd done a hundred times) she'd been much more suave a seductress.

Sirius giggled. He actually giggled, and his heart was so light that he couldn't even bring himself to be embarrassed. As his giggles subsided, Dawn stretched up and brushed her lips against his with a kiss softer, but deeper than any he'd ever known before. His hands were to her waist, pulling her up against him as Dawn's kisses slowly became more persistent. Having withstood the wait for her for far too long already, he popped the first of her buttons open.

"No." Dawn clamped her hands over his and forced them away from her.

"What?" Sirius panted. "What's wrong?"

But Dawn, her eyes twinkling, just offered him a secretive little smile and went to work on her own buttons. Sirius smirked. This was how she wanted it? Fine by him. He shed his jacket and reached to unfasten his own clothing, but again her hands stayed his.

"Patience," she whispered.

He could do nothing but stare, entranced by every little detail about her as she slowly shed her layers of clothing down to her underthings. Sirius caught sight of her underwear and grinned devilishly. She'd worn the black satin thong for him. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Dawn turned her attention to her boyfriend's clothing. She chewed her bottom lip in concentration as her delicate fingers worked on his buttons, his belt buckle, his fly, and Sirius couldn't remember ever seeing anything more lovely and adorable in his life. When she had him dressed down to her Gryffindor boxers, Dawn paused a moment, taking the time to steal another kiss more softly urgent than the last.

His hands were resting on the warm skin of her shoulders and it took all of Sirius' willpower to keep them there. But he wanted this to be perfect for Dawn, so he knew in the end he'd be satisfied just to wait for her to give him a sign that she wanted to move on. As if she knew what he was thinking and wanted to reward him for his patience, Dawn shrugged one of his hands off her shoulder, urging it round to the clasp of her bra.

He took his time with it, sliding it off her skin with agonizing slowness, welcoming each inch of her with its very own kiss as it was revealed. Dawn squirmed with pleasure. Sirius grinned and backed her towards the bed. She let out a little shiver and he raised his eyebrows in silent question.

"Cold," Dawn said, shivering slightly again. After all, it wasn't as if she stood around fairly well naked every day, let alone deep in the night of a frozen British winter. Immediately, Sirius pulled down the covers and lifted her up onto the bed before crawling under the warm covers beside her.

Wanting his body heat, Dawn snuggled close up to Sirius, feeling his arms snake around her, hands rubbing up and down her bare back. She quickly warmed to his touch, her own fingers beginning to explore the smooth muscles of his back. He was kissing her again, but even that could not quite completely distract Dawn from the hand that crept lower and lower down her back until it was resting comfortably on her backside. She gave a tiny moan into Sirius' mouth, and Sirius responded by slightly increasing the pressure of his hands on her body, rolling her onto her back.

It was several long minutes before Dawn broke their kiss, her cheeks flushed. She stared up into Sirius' blue eyes, as if trying to memorize every single fleck in them, before giving him a minute nod of permission. Sirius, needing no further invitation or encouragement, shifted his weight and moved to situate himself above Dawn, but her hand suddenly shot up to his chest, keeping him at bay. Sirius frowned, confused by the mixed signals she was sending out.

"Have you got... y'know... protection?" she asked, blushing slightly at the question.

Sirius snatched his wand from his bedside table and muttered something that sounded like _Infertilus Protectus_ before tossing his wand carelessly aside, far more preoccupied with the gorgeous girl still watching him with innocent curiosity.

Dawn reached out to Sirius, this time welcoming him back into the circle of her arms. Sirius relaxed against her, his mouth was pressing searing kisses to her neck, tasting the sweetness of her skin. He gradually worked his mouth lower, until he'd tasted his way down to her navel, one finger was running along the top of her underwear. He paused for a moment, both his fingertips and lips tracing along the two most prominent scars still showing on Dawn's abdomen, cutting across her in a sort of unclosed V. Sirius placed one final kiss on Dawn's flat stomach before gently raising her hips to peel the thong off and toss it aside. He stretched back up along her body until they were staring into each other's wide eyes, the sky and the sea, endless blues of different spectrums fading into one.

"You're beautiful," he breathed.

Wondering if it would cheapen the moment to tell Sirius that he was beautiful, too, Dawn just smiled her pleasure at his compliment. She slid his boxers down over his hips. Trembling with fear and anticipation, she waited for Sirius to kick his boxers off and settle his body over her before speaking in a slightly nervous whisper.

"Gently..."

His response was a soft, reassuring kiss that chased all Dawn's fears away. One of Sirius' hands slipped between Dawn's legs, teasing her, exciting her, completely losing her in the moment.

Dawn felt his hand pull away from her, felt Sirius' body weight shift on top of her and knew what it meant, but still she felt incredibly unprepared for the sudden, acute pain that had just stolen away her virginity. She drew in a sharp breath and Sirius immediately stilled.

Knowing how redundant it would be for him to ask if she was ok, Sirius just brushed her hair back out of her face before tenderly running a finger down the length of her nose. "It's all right. I can wait."

But Dawn shook her head almost defiantly and blinked the startled tears out of her eyes. "I'm ok," she insisted, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. She went to pull away, but Sirius would not let the kiss be broken, his tongue flicked lightly at her lips until they parted deliciously, granting him access to her warm mouth.

She wriggled her body just a tiny bit, creating a tremor of delicious friction against his, and Sirius took the hint that he could start moving again, grinding his hips into hers. With each slow, careful thrust, Dawn felt the pain gradually fading, replaced by the most wonderful sense of human contact she'd ever known. It didn't take too long for her to catch onto his rhythm, Dawn began rocking her hips back and forth in time to meet with his and when Sirius gave a low moan, she figured she must be doing something right and kept her slow, almost tentative movements going.

Their bodies were slick with sweat, their breaths came in deep, ragged gasps, broken by the occasional moan or grunt of pleasure. Dawn clung tightly to Sirius, feeling the movements of his shoulder muscles beneath her hands as his own hands constantly roved over her flesh. Her face, her throat, her breasts, her waist, slipping beneath her to massage her backside (Dawn gave the most appreciative moan as her body was pressed even closer to his then) and then caressing as much of the length of her leg as he could reach, it was as if Sirius was intent on exploring every little bit of Dawn's body, one way or another.

Dawn had been feeling the warmth well up inside her for some time, and could sense the same heat radiating from within Sirius. He'd rested his face alongside her cheek and was growling slightly against her ear as he moved. His movements had become less measured as he gave into his passions more recklessly, but Dawn's body seemed to keep up with his of its own accord. Something deep within her core reached its boiling point, triggering an internal explosion that had her uttering a shapeless cry. Barely a second later Dawn felt Sirius gripping her waist tightly as he released into her. Sirius let out one final moan of Dawn's name and collapsed on top of her, his lips brushing tantalisingly against her pulse-point.

They remained moulded together like that for several long moments, neither moving, content just to feel the rhythm of each other's heartbeat pounding through their skin as they tried to calm their rapid breathing. At length, Sirius eased himself free of her and Dawn shifted a little as he rolled over onto his back, both trying to get more comfortable beneath the sweat-drenched sheet bunched up around their waists.

Sirius propped himself up on one elbow, his other hand rubbing Dawn's stomach in soothing motions. "How are you feeling?"

Dawn scrunched up her nose. How was she supposed to know right now? She didn't think she was capable of a lot of deeper thought just yet. "A little sore," she admitted, the first random sensation to filter back into her mind, at which Sirius pressed a comforting kiss to her temple. Completely content, Dawn let her head sink back against the pillows, ready for sleep, but to her surprise the hand Sirius still had rested on her exposed stomach shook her slightly.

"Don't go to sleep yet," he urged, a hint of pleading in his voice. Dawn tilted her head, looking at him quizzically.

"I wanna talk to you," Sirius blurted. In truth, he had nothing in particular that needed to be said because their bodies had just done more communicating than words could hope for, he just wasn't ready to see those perfect blue eyes of hers close on him yet.

"What about?" Dawn asked, curious.

Sirius cast his gaze about the room, searching for something to go with. It was kind of hard to focus on anything beyond the fact that his girlfriend, who happened to be the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, was lying next to him in nothing but a sheet that reached no higher than her midsection, but he spotted a strip of black material tangled in his sheets and plucked it out for Dawn to see. "I was right," he grinned, holding up her thong. "You do look even better out of this."

Dawn flushed, remembering the day Sirius and James had picked it out for her, along with every other piece of underwear she currently owned. "Sirius!" she admonished in a scandalized voice.

"What?" Sirius laughed, once again throwing the garment aside before he suddenly sobered, staring deep into her eyes. "Please don't go to sleep yet," he implored. "I'm not ready to go to sleep, and I don't want to be awake without you."

Dawn smiled, secretly touched by his sentiment. "Ok," she whispered. She rolled on to her side so they were facing each other and shifted so close that their noses were almost touching as she stared deep into his eyes, as if trying to figure him out. She watched the light of the almost-dead lamp flickering, reflecting in his eyes, showing her all the things hidden deep within him. Feelings he probably tried to hide from himself, the solitude of a scared little boy who could not find his place within his own family, so seeing himself as completely alone in the gathering darkness.

Silent resolve settled over Dawn's features and her small hand slid around his larger one. She would not go to sleep without him. He would not be left alone any longer. Sirius smiled at Dawn as they lay together, their feet intertwined beneath the blankets, their two worlds melting into one. Strange to him, but somehow he just didn't feel so alone anymore. In an almost doglike movement, he extended his face the mere centimetre between his and Dawn's, lightly nuzzling her nose with his. Dawn giggled with pleasure, and stretched forwards until her forehead was resting against his, their eyes never for a moment breaking their connection.

* * *

Dawn shivered slightly, her clothing affording no protection against the winter morning's chill. Her brow furrowed slightly over her closed eyelids ... She wasn't wearing any clothing. Her eyes slowly opened and she blinked in confusion at how dull her surroundings were, until she realised someone had drawn the hangings around Sirius' bed. Looking straight ahead, her gaze fell on Sirius' face, peaceful and boyish in sleep and barely an inch from hers. She smiled, the memories of their first night together washing back over her.

Her gaze dropped lower and a bashful feeling came over Dawn as she realised how exposed she was with nothing but a tangled sheet resting low on her hips and the way her arm fell across her chest to protect her modesty. She reached slowly for the sheet, but as she pulled it up over herself Sirius' eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," he murmured, smiling sleepily at her.

"Hi," Dawn whispered, suddenly overcome with shyness. She looked down and bit her lip, a wave of nerves and insecurities washing over her. She'd thought it had gone well, but what did she know, really? She wasn't exactly an expert in the department, what if she was wrong?

Sensing dangerous doubt sneaking up on Dawn, Sirius put a hand to her face to lift her gaze to his. His kisses soon convinced her all her fears were groundless. He pulled her close and locked his arms around her, both content just to lay in silence and hold each other.

"What time is it?" Dawn eventually yawned. Strange that the other boys hadn't come tearing into the dorm to demand their territory back, yet.

Sirius pushed the curtains aside so he could glance at the clock. "Ten forty-five," he read.

Dawn bolted upright, bashfulness forgotten. "Quidditch! We're gonna miss James' game!"

She was up and throwing her clothes back on in a heartbeat. Sirius just watched, amused while she kissed him briefly, snatched her thong from the folds of his sheets and told him she'd be in the Common Room in a few minutes. Dawn burst into her own dorm and straight through to the shower, washing with record speed. She shut the water off and stepped out of the stall, but she caught sight of herself in the mirror as she reached for her towel and paused. Dawn took a minute to study her reflection and was almost disappointed to find she looked exactly the same as she had the day before. She'd thought maybe she would look different, somehow. Older.

She shook the thoughts off and finished getting ready. Sirius, having apparently not felt the need to investigate any possible changes in his body, was already waiting for her. They ran through the castle together, emerging into the open air just as Madam Hooch began the game to the roar of the crowd. By the time they'd climbed the stands and fought their way over to Peter, Isabel and Lily, Gryffindor was down sixty-thirty.

"Come on, Gryffindor!" Remus was bellowing into his magical megaphone. "Wake up already. Potter with the Quaffle now, looking a bit tired. Dodges one, two Chasers, ducks the Bludger and hey! About time! The score for Gryffindor in the far right hoop and Hufflepuff back in possession now ..."

The red and gold section of the stands erupted as if they'd been dying for the chance to do so. Dawn looked at the way the Gryffindor team streaked tiredly through the sky and made a face at Lily and Isabel.

"Ok, so now I know not to plan a party for the night before a Quidditch game."

The two girls just shrugged. Let the fanatical boys worry about Quidditch. Let the girls worry about just why Dawn and Sirius had been so late to the match. And why they were both practically glowing. Dawn saw the looks on their faces and knew there would be questions later. She also knew she'd be avoiding them. Dawn felt fiercely protective of what she and Sirius had shared, she realised as shr turned and cuddled up to his side that she never wanted to open up about it to anyone but him.

She laid her head on his shoulder and followed the match purely through the sounds Sirius made. When he hissed, Hufflepuff had made a good play. When he groaned, they'd scored. When he just about deafened her, it was apparent that Gryffindor had scored.

Only when Remus started yelling in excitement about the Snitch being spotted did Dawn look back towards the pitch. By the time she'd even located the Seekers barrelling through the air, the Snitch had been snatched up and the game won. Dawn wasn't sure if her house-mates were cheering because despite the poor performance Gryffindor had come out on top, or because now they could all have lunch and go back to bed.

James, freshly showered, popped up in the Great Hall a few minutes after the lunch dishes had appeared. He fell on the roast beef and tore ravenously into it. Dawn shot him a half-apologetic smile.

"Sorry- didn't think about the match being today."

"Pfft," James shrugged. "We won, didn't we? We'd have to get completely flogged by Ravenclaw to lose the Cup now. And that's never going to happen." He grinned wickedly and raised his eyebrows. "Besides, I think it was worth it- everybody had such a good time. Some better than others, I see."

Dawn blushed. "James..."

"Sorry," he grinned. It always amused Dawn that James' apologies so rarely sounded like actual apologies. "Right of the big brother, emotional torture and all."

"Just remember that it's a little sister's duty to be a total pain in the ass. And I happen to be a professional."

The rest of the day was a blur for the fifth-years; some light study (for Lily) or a game of Wizard's Chess, nothing strenuous was even worth considering. Sirius made room in his trunk and cupboards for all his gifts until only the owl was left, sitting in his cage on the window ledge.

"We'll take him to the Owlery," Sirius said.

"You haven't named him yet," Dawn pointed out.

Sirius smiled. "I was going to tell you last night, but I got ... distracted. You get to do the honours, you can pick a name for him."

Dawn cocked her head to the side and studied the beautiful bird who seemed full of quiet nobility. "Hector," she said at last.

They took Hector to the Owlery before dinner and released him from his cage so he could mingle with the other owls. They watched him for a while to be certain he settled in all right on his perch of choice before leaving him to it. The evening wore away as peacefully as the afternoon had and Dawn soon found herself snug between her own sheets, exhausted but awake and thoughtful.

She heard a soft scratching sound and then the quiet clicks of a door being pushed open and then nudged closed again. Something padded across the room, Dawn could hear the thuds of feet on the floor and heading straight for her bed. Then the black, furry snout poked through the divide of her bed curtains.

A moment later an enormous dog had bounded softly up beside her, licked her cheek in greeting and promptly reverted to his human form. Sirius smiled, took out his wand and cast a Silencing Charm about Dawn's bed to conceal his presence.

She arched an eyebrow. "Planning to take advantage of me?"

"Maybe," he quipped with a kiss. He crawled under the covers and pulled her up against him. "No. Not really," he admitted. "I just wanted to hold you for a while."

Dawn wrapped her arms around him. "You'll have to be gone by morning," she warned. Lily and Isabel only laughed and shook their heads on the rare occasions when they caught Dawn sneaking out to (or back in from) the boys' dorm, but she doubted they'd find a boy in their territory so amusing. Not to mention the problems they'd have explaining how Sirius had managed to get up the stairs in the first place.

"I know. I will be," he promised.

When Dawn awoke the next morning, she was alone save for the single white rose conjured and sitting on the abandoned pillow beside her.

**

* * *

**

**A.N.:** Ok, so the sex scene- I really want the feedback on that one you guys because I've never pushed the envelope with it like that before. Big thanks!

Anoron


	21. Look What You've Done

**Disclaimer: **All things of HP belong to JK Rowling. All things BtVS belong to Joss Whedon. Look What You've Done is by Jet. Go Aussie music, go!

**A/N:** Rushed update, so sorry I can't list all of you like usual (exams no time for anything) but **HUGE** thanks to those who reviewed Unchained Melody. All feedback was treasured & appreciated. R&R again!

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY

**Look What You've Done**

James slung an arm about his best friend's shoulders, grinning like a loon. Sirius arched an eyebrow and finished straightening his tie as best he could around James' arm.

"Ok, Prongs. Hand over the drugs and nobody gets hurt."

James shook his head, still grinning madly. "No drugs, Padfoot, I'm just enjoying the power trip."

"Huh?"

"We're going to have a little talk, mate," James explained, slapping Sirius heartily on the back.

"Yeah? What about?"

"About you making sure you treat that so-called sister of mine right. We all know what you two have been up to, Wormtail was bright red when we came in that morning after your birthday. Remus had to close the hangings. Look, mate, you're my best friend and all that, but the same goes for you as everyone else. If you hurt her, I'll be forced to hit you, alright?"

But Sirius just shook his head, a smile fixing on his face. "Never happen, mate."

"Better not," James muttered before turning to look for his school bag. "Moony, have you got the map? If we're lucky we might actually get to finish it before dinner."

Remus held up a large square of folded parchment and slid it into the cover of his Arithmancy textbook for safe-keeping. "Got it. Now come on, I want to have at least five minutes to eat breakfast this morning."

"Someone's the hungry little wolfy today," Sirius taunted as they headed towards the door, Remus growling playfully at him. They paused in the doorway to look back. "Hurry up, Wormtail, would you?"

Peter scurried after his friends, still trying to juggle his bag whilst pulling his robes on and straightening his tie. They all made it to breakfast with about fifteen minutes to spare, much to the delight of Remus, who was busy pouring pumpkin juice into four clean goblets and refilling Dawn and Isabel's drinks. Isabel thanked him with a good morning kiss, but Dawn was too busy giving Sirius the same treatment to notice.

Lily sighed noisily and tapped Dawn's shoulder. "Dawn? Dawn?"

Dawn ignored her, finding that kissing Sirius was a greater priority than whatever Lily wanted to tell her. Lily's tapping slowly became more persistent. "Dawn, Sirius, give it a rest! McGonagall's about two seconds away from taking points."

Dawn and Sirius reluctantly broke apart. From the Head table, McGonagall was fixing a thunderous glare on the pair of them. Sirius grinned as Dawn blushed and hastily reverted her attention to her plate. She took a bite and made a face.

"My eggs have gone cold."

"I wonder how that happened," Lily intoned with a roll of her eyes.

They all finished their meal and gathered their belongings ready for the first class. They passed the day without too much drama, not counting the extra two foot essay Peter was assigned in Transfiguration or the plague of mice that surfaced throughout the belongings of the Slytherins. Or the bat bogey hex James had been delivered by Lily for his comments regarding certain aspects of her figure (even Dawn had agreed he deserved that one).

After the final class of the day, Peter reluctantly headed back to the dorm alone to work on the essay McGonagall had assigned him in a temper when he'd failed to make any progress at all in class that day. Remus, James and Sirius, the latter two not being entirely comfortable with announcing their destination where they could be so easily overheard, slipped off to the Library in the hopes of completing the Marauder's Map, as they had taken to calling it.

Dawn, meanwhile, was bound for Professor McGonagall's office and her Careers Advice meeting. The multitude of garishly coloured pamphlets advertising the future had been scattered around the Common Room all weekend, and all Dawn's friends had met with their Head of House earlier in the day. James, Lily and Sirius had all returned beaming with pride following their interviews, each having been told they possessed the necessary qualities and grades to become Aurors. Dawn had been proud of all of them and also a little in awe. James' Dad was an Auror and everyone knew it was the toughest job in the Wizarding world. Isabel had been pleased to learn about all the NEWT standard classes she would need for a future in medical healing that were all well within her capabilities.

But Remus had been downright horrified to learn he had all the makings of a future Hogwarts Professor. Dawn felt bad for him. He'd confided in her that he would love to be an Auror, too, she knew it was more than smart enough for it, but the Ministry would never have a werewolf in its employ. Peter had just sighed, told her he was destined to work in the Chocolate Frog Factory forever, and helped himself to another serving of mashed potato. Dawn wasn't sure if he was kidding or not. She rapped a couple of times on the wooden door before her.

"Come in," Professor McGonagall called. "Have a seat, Miss Summers, and tell me if you have any ideas on what career you might like once you leave Hogwarts."

Dawn dropped her bag and took the offered seat. She shrugged a little apologetically. "I'm really not sure," she admitted.

McGonagall rested her quill on her open ledger and looked across the table, assessing Dawn. "Well I suppose you are at a bit of a disadvantage, having not been acquainted with the ways of our world for long at all. Perhaps if you had some broad ideas, I could help you narrow them into a few appropriate potential careers?"

Dawn opened her mouth, then hesitated. Should she? There was one idea she'd always had in the back of her mind, something she'd always sort of wanted to do. Something that made Buffy drop whatever she was holding and choke on her own spit if she even alluded to it. The Professor raised her eyebrows a little impatiently. She'd been planning lives for fifteen year-olds since nine o'clock that morning.

"I want to help people," Dawn said.

McGonagall gave a crisp, pleased nod. "A magical healer, perhaps? You could earn an internship at St Mungo's Hospital," she suggested.

Dawn considered it briefly, then shook her head. She wasn't changing bed pans for anything, even if there were spells to take care of all that. "No, I don't want to look after people when they've already been hurt. I want to stop them from getting hurt."

McGonagall paused, studying Dawn with redoubled intensity. Dawn shifted a little, but did not look down. Finally, the Professor took out an unassuming black pamphlet that hadn't been in the Common Room stack and handed it to Dawn. She read the heading in glossy red ink, rich as blood. 'Ministry of Magic: Auror'. Her startled gaze flew back to that of the woman sitting behind the desk.

"An Auror?" Dawn blurted. "Do you really think I could?"

"It's a difficult job, Miss Summers, very few people have the capacity for it. I make no promises, but with a lot of work, I believe you just might meet the set standards," McGonagall said sternly, but with encouragement in her eyes.

Dawn nodded, eyes wide. "What do I need to do?"

Completely businesslike once more, the Professor skimmed a few sheets of parchment quickly. Dawn caught a glimpse of her own name before the reports were whipped out of sight. "You'll need to take a variety of classes at NEWT level starting next year, and achieve either 'Exceeds Expectations' or 'Outstanding' in all of them. Your Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts grades thus far pose no problem at all, and your Potions work is consistently strong. Your Charms work, on the other hand, will need to improve a bit. I would suggest you focus a bit more of your study time on that subject before OWLs and I have confidence in you to achieve the fitting results."

Dawn almost smiled and then almost grimaced. As pleased as she was to hear that she really did have the potential to do something worthwhile with her life, the thought of any more Charms work just about drove her to tears. In the end, she settled for an attentive nod. "And after that? If I get the grades, I mean?"

"It's a long road. Even if, after you graduate from Hogwarts, you are accepted into the Auror training program," McGonagall warned. "There are more physical, intellectual and psychological tests to undergo and a gruelling training period after that."

"I could do it," Dawn said, and she believed it.

McGonagall offered a small smile.

* * *

"Knock, knock," Dawn called, popping her head into the Marauder's dorm. Peter jumped and dropped his quill. A stray splatter of ink darkened his nose and cheeks.

"Sorry," Dawn said, grinning sheepishly and letting herself fully into the room. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't know. Everybody just sort of disappeared after classes," Peter offered.

"Oh," Dawn frowned. She'd been hoping Sirius would be here and they could spend a little quality time together before dinner. She shrugged it off a split second later, brightening up. "So whatcha doing?"

Peter gave a grimace. "That Transfiguration essay. You know, it's not easy writing an essay when you can't even master the spell," he confided.

Feeling generous, Dawn grinned. "You want me to give you a hand?"

The watery eyes lit up in the somewhat pointed face and Peter nodded eagerly. Dawn didn't notice the way his chubby cheeks turned pink when she hoisted herself up to sit next to him on the bed, she was too busy reaching for the much-scribbled-on parchment resting on his textbook.

"Ok, this isn't so bad for an outline," Dawn commented after skimming the parchment.

"Outline?" Peter squeaked, horrified. "That's my whole essay."

Dawn's head snapped up at that, her eyes fixing sharply on the face of the boy next to her. She tried to bite her tongue, but nothing could hold back the giggles that bubbled out of her.

A sour look crossed Peter's face. "I didn't think it was that bad," he muttered.

Hastily choking back her mirth, Dawn shook her head. "No, it's not that, Peter. It's just, um, you have ink on your face."

"Oh."

"Here," Dawn offered, reaching over. The pink of Peter's cheeks deepened into full-blown red and he shivered as Dawn laid her fingers gently on his face and wiped the smattering of ink away.

The colourless eyes widened at the unfamiliar sensation of a feminine touch, and Dawn's own eyes widened. Things clicked into place in her head with suddenly painful clarity. She snatched her hand back as if it had been burnt, mentally berating herself for not picking up on the signals Peter was sending before now. The way he blushed when she spoke, shivered at any innocent or accidental contact with her, ignored it when she and Sirius got all couple-y, the way he'd almost stopped breathing when she'd danced with him ... He'd gone and developed a crush on her.

"All gone," Dawn said, casually shifting to put a few more inches between them.

"What?" Peter breathed. Then he remembered the ink. "Oh, thanks."

"So how about this essay," Dawn pressed on, hiding behind the businesslike tone her voice had adopted. "Like I said, it's a good start, but you've just got to put a little more into it."

"Like how?" Peter asked, leaning in close to read over Dawn's shoulder.

She tensed. A worried little whimper escaped her lips and she hastily shoved his parchment over so he could see without getting any closer to her.

"Just explain why. I mean, it's all well and good to tell McGonagall that learning the theory behind a spell is completely useless in mastering it, but I don't think she's gonna agree with that one unless you prove it," Dawn said wryly. In her experience, it didn't go over too well when you told a teacher they were full of it.

Peter nodded, hanging raptly on Dawn's every word. "So how do I prove it?"

"You're going to need some books for starters. You just find some examples that back up what you want to say," Dawn shrugged, making to scoot off the bed and escape. "Anyway, I just realised there's something I've got to take care of. But good luck with it." She forced an overly cheery smile.

Peter stared at her. She looked away, but felt the gaze still locked onto her, suddenly more intense than she'd ever believed he could manage. "Dawn?"

Reluctantly, she looked at him and before she could stop it he'd leaned over and tried to claim her lips in a clumsy kiss. Dawn froze in horror, unsure of how to react. Then her instincts made a long overdue appearance.

"Mmm!" She gave a muffled squeal. She pushed him back, staring at him through betrayed eyes.

"What the hell is going on here!?"

* * *

Voldemort slid his long, lean body into his seat. He'd heard a couple of his younger Death Eaters joke that it was a cross between a throne and an execution chair and had decided he quite liked that description. Of course, he'd still punished the Death Eaters for their insolence with a long round of Cruciatus curses. The Dark Lord picked up the leaves of parchment from the small table beside his seat and scanned the information at his leisure.

The uncommonly thin eyebrows rose at the new piece of vital information and Voldemort idly considered that perhaps Lestrange and Malfoy were not entirely useless, after all.

So the Key might be human.

Or some form of animal perhaps. Hey now knew it was not simply energy, but 'living' energy. It was definite progress, in any event, narrowing the possibilities significantly. Voldemort had been becoming inclined to think Malfoy was never going to uncover any information. He'd probably even considered stealing the old fool Dumbledore's key chain and trying the keys in every lock at Hogwarts until he found a key that didn't fit anything else. Voldemort allowed himself a moment to chuckle inwardly at the thought before beginning to turn possibilities over in his mind. There had been no news of any new animals popping up at Hogwarts this year, even the half-giant oaf hadn't acquired so much as a flesh-eating chicken as far as anyone could tell.

So that left only people to consider as possible candidates. Well the snot-nosed, insipid little first years were new and there was a new Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Voldemort discarded both possibilities at once. There were new first years and Defence Against the Dark Arts Professors every year. No, there had only been one unexpected arrival at the school this year: Dawn Summers.

But what of the little Mudblood, Voldemort mused. By all accounts she was just that- another filthy little piece of trash, and apparently quite weak and pathetic for the most part. A fifteen year-old girl, nothing more. Malfoy had told him the story; he'd been able to seize her as easily as if she were a snotty tissue to be disposed of. Summers hadn't shown any potential of great power to free herself, only the interference of the Gryffindor blood-traitors had prevented Malfoy from having his way with her. She hadn't been able to do a thing to stop him, she just didn't have the power. And yet...

"Rabastan!" Voldemort bellowed.

A minute later, the door thudded open and a figure came bursting through, trying to both scurry towards the high chair and bow at the same time. "You summoned me, Lord?" Rabastan panted.

Voldemort did not bother to answer the question. "You are to contact Malfoy at once, he is to resume his task of keeping an eye on Dawn Summers. Discreetly of course, I would have a hard time keeping a straight face if those blood-traitors made such a mess of his again."

Rabastan inclined his head. "Yes, my Lord. May I ask why the Mudblood should be watched?"

"You may," Voldemort replied coolly. "I have reason to believe she may have some connection to my Key."

* * *

"What the hell is going on here!?"

Dawn and Peter scrambled off the bed and whipped around to face the door. It was open and framing the figures of three shell-shocked boys. Remus' mouth was hanging open in disbelief and James looked slightly sick, as if he'd just been forced to run his hand through Snape's greasy hair or something. But it was the look on Sirius' face that frightened Dawn the most; an expression of Godlike fury and eyes sharpened into ice-blue daggers. She trembled, a little bit afraid of his wrath.

"Well?" Sirius snapped when nobody moved or spoke. "I still want to know what one of my supposed best friend's lips were doing all over my girlfriend's." He stalked into the room, barely allowing James and Remus a second to follow before slamming the door violently.

Dawn jumped at the gunshot-like crack of the door crashing into the jamb. "Sirius," she managed, taking a step towards him and then thinking better of it.

Sirius glared at her, challenging her to justify everything he'd just seen. At the tears glistening in her eyes, though, he softened just a little towards her; he'd seen enough to know Dawn had neither expected or welcomed the kiss, he shouldn't be angry with her. Then Peter made the fatal mistake of shifting uncomfortably and drawing attention to himself. Sirius' senses all honed in on the quaking boy and like a hunting dog, he went dangerously still.

"You," he said in a frightful growl. Peter recoiled in fear. "You son of a bitch! This is how you treat your friends- sleazing onto their girlfriends behind their backs?"

He broke off and looked away, too incensed to speak, too disgusted to bother meeting Peter's gaze. Sirius stared at the glass water goblet on Remus' bedside table; it exploded from the sheer force of the young wizard's temper. Dawn gave a strangled squeal.

"Please don't do this," she whispered. The Marauders had been together, best friends through thick and thin since day one at Hogwarts. One awful moment shouldn't be enough to jeopardize all that. Her lower lip trembled violently, she couldn't hold back the flood.

Remus and James had stood dumbly by, trying to remain uninvolved and knowing if they did get involved they were risking a much bigger fight than the one they already had on their hands. But seeing Dawn start to cry was enough for James. It was a pretty simple philosophy he'd adopted really, not difficult to understand in the least. If you hurt Dawn, you got hit. Peter understood that as well as the next Marauder, and Dawn's eyes were showing James a lot of hurting. He went white with fury.

"What were you thinking?" he bellowed. The rest of the room froze, even Sirius was watching in awe as James worked himself into a rage. "Wormtail, you damned idiotic rat, why couldn't you just keep your dirty hands to yourself, huh? Look what you've done! To Dawn! To Sirius! To bloody all of us! You've ruined everything."

Peter looked on the verge of tears, he trembled before James, at the mercy of the Marauder he'd always looked up to the most. He didn't know what had come over him, he'd only wanted to have Dawn to himself for just one moment. He knew it was wrong, knew Dawn would never be his, but he'd needed to kiss her just once. Just to pretend that the girl he loved was his. Why was it that he was always denied his moment?

"I'm ... I'm ... s-s-s..." he stuttered, clasping his hands before him to beg.

The gesture only seemed to infuriate James and Sirius further, they could all hear the deeps growls issuing from Sirius' throat. Beyond control, James' fist flew back to make good on his promise to belt anyone who dared cause his sister pain and a frightened tear slipped down Peter's cheek. He wasn't sure what he was more afraid of: having James break his nose or losing him as a friend and protector. A scream tore from Dawn's throat, shocking some life back into Remus as James' fist came barrelling forwards.

"Prongs! James!" Remus swooped in to catch James' arm, struggling to restrain his momentum and stop the punch from following through. James struggled a moment, before he realised who he was fighting and the tension in his muscles slackened. Still with a cautionary grip on James' arm, Remus turned to Peter.

"It might be best if you just cleared out for a while, Peter," he said evenly. "Give everybody a chance to cool off."

Peter fled for his life. James tried to jerk his arm free, but Remus held firm. "Calm down," he hissed and nodded towards Dawn. "You're not helping."

Dawn was standing there, sniffling and studying her shoes like a chastised child. "I'm sorry," she said to Sirius without looking at him. She was too afraid of what she would see. "I didn't mean to let that happen."

There was a prolonged beat of silence, the a gruff sigh. "I know," Sirius said. "It wasn't your fault. It was that bastard little rat!"

"Don't," Dawn said, snapping her gaze up to his.

Another lightning bolt of anger echoed across Sirius' face. "What- you defending him now?"

"Padfoot," Remus warned in a low tone. James still looked ready to knock someone out on Dawn's behalf.

"No, I'm not!" Dawn burst out. "Just don't ... Don't make this worse than it already is. Please?"

* * *

The way James and Sirius took to alternately ignoring Peter's existence and cursing it frightened Dawn. They did it with such ease, so completely and so unwilling to negotiate over it with anyone. Peter sat alone in classes and at meals, miserable and not even game enough to look at the Marauders. The rumour network had generated at least a dozen theories on why the famous four had cast one of their own out, but since none of the Gryffindors were talking about it, nobody had even got close to the truth.

Dawn hadn't felt so wretched about something since before Christmas, no matter how often Remus promised her otherwise she still blamed herself. If she hadn't been too afraid to handle the situation the moment she realised Peter had developed feelings for her, he would never have had the chance to kiss her. Even Remus had all but abandoned Peter. He'd talk to him when they were alone as warmly and as normally as he could, but when James and Sirius were about, as always Remus followed their lead and ignored Peter completely.

"Pettigrew, back to your regular seat this instant," McGonagall ordered, stalking into her Transfiguration room and spotting the little lump of a boy trying to disappear beneath the desk in the far back corner. She turned and began writing up the instructions for the day's lesson on the blackboard, using her wand.

Peter gulped. Dawn was rummaging in her bag for a new quill and his empty seat lay in wait beside her. Remus was studiously avoiding the whole scene but Sirius and James were shooting forbidding glares at him. Peter didn't dare approach.

"Today please, Mr Pettigrew," the Professor snapped upon turning around and seeing that her directive had gone unheeded.

Peter slowly gathered his things and, as if he was walking the green mile like in the movie Dawn had told him about, marched over and took his usual seat. He fiddled nervously with his wand, trying to look anywhere but at the girl in the seat next to him.

Dawn took a deep breath. "Hi," she whispered, twisting her chain with the silver cross around her fingers.

"Dawn!" Sirius barked over his shoulder. What was she doing, being nice to the traitorous git who'd tried to kiss her behind his back? Dawn held his gaze a little defiantly and just waited until he turned around again.

"How are you?" she tried again. She heard Sirius' growls from the desk in front, but he didn't turn around and she didn't pay him any mind.

Peter glanced nervously at the two seats in front of him before he replied in barely a whisper. "I'm ok, I guess. How are you?"

"I'm good," Dawn said with an awkward smile. It was only a strained, semi-normal conversation, but it was a start. Maybe with a lot of effort she could get the other boys to start acting semi-normal as well, and then getting things back to normal would only be a matter of time.

They turned their attention to the lesson and copied down the notes before moving on to the spell itself. Dawn turned her tortoise into a hare easily, but Peter struggled to get anything beyond a puffy tail and some half-hearted floppy ears. Dawn considered making an offer to help, but the memory of what had happened the last time she'd tried to tutor him in Transfiguration reminded her how dangerous such a simple offer could be. Instead she busied herself with the task of turning her hare's fur different colours and pretended not to notice how badly Peter was faring.

The bell rang. Sirius seized Dawn's hand and hauled her out of the room before she or Peter could exchange another word. They emerged into the corridor and Dawn tugged her arm free of Sirius' grip, scowling.

"Didn't mean to hurt you," he almost apologised.

"You didn't and that's not the point," Dawn said quietly. "You and Peter have been friends for five years, Sirius. Would you really rather be pushing me out of rooms for the rest of your life than risk having me speak to him?"

Sirius shot her his 'innocent little boy' look. "Maybe."

Dawn sighed. She wasn't going to get anywhere with him now. That look was as infallible as Willow's resolve face. James joined them and they dawdled up towards Divination, taking as long as possible. Dawn had been opposed to the practice at first, but the boys had been quick to point out that she was too gifted not to get an 'Outstanding' OWL, and it had been apparent since the first day of third year that neither of them stood a chance for anything above a 'Poor'.

Almost fifteen minutes later they were just strolling leisurely into the room, much to the annoyance of Professor Damus.

"Where have you three been?" she asked, flicking a long strand of straggly crimson hair over her shoulder.

"You're the Seer," Sirius pointed out. "Why don't you tell us?"

James snickered loudly. Dawn didn't look quite so amused. Damus blinked serenely, as if it was taking a while to filter through to her that she'd been insulted. Then she stiffened almost imperceptibly.

"Five points from Gryffindor for your insolence. Those without the Gift should not make fun of powers they do not understand," she said, her usually dreamy voice taking on a haughty edge. "After all, when you gaze into the depths of a crystal ball, what do you See?"

Sirius appeared to be considering the question for a moment, Dawn cringed and braced herself for the answer. James' eyes gleamed in anticipation.

"Mostly, I see fog," Sirius announced, drawing a round of snorts and giggles. He promptly lost Gryffindor another five points and the distinctly annoyed look Dawn was shooting at him made him reconsider making another comeback. Damus herself was staring at Dawn, obviously trying to understand what someone so in tune with aspects of Divination could see in someone so hopelessly Mundane as Sirius Black.

* * *

"Dawn?"

"Mmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"Oh, ha ha. I was actually being serious."

"Well I was sort of counting on you being Sirius."

Sirius growled and playfully nipped at Dawn's neck, like a dog might to regain attention for himself. Dawn giggled and tangled her hand in his hair, idly massaging his scalp. They were lounging around in the Marauders' dorm, just hanging out while Remus flipped through his Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook and James was hastily scribbling out a week's worth of homework assignments. Peter had taken to hiding in the Library behind the shelves until Madam Pince came to chase him out at the nine o'clock curfew. Dawn's laughter passed within a moment, Sirius was looking at her quite seriously.

"Why did you talk to Peter the other day? In Transfiguration? And I saw you say hello to him this morning. What're you playing at, Kitten?" he asked.

Dawn shook her head, searching for words to explain. "I'm not 'playing at' anything, Sirius. You know as well as I do that you can't keep ignoring Peter forever, eventually you're all going to have to make up. Why not just do it?"

"But he mmumph-kengh mimmphed-" Dawn's hand clamping firmly over Sirius' mouth made it difficult for him to finish his sentence.

"I know. I was there, remember?" she said, and the statement settled Sirius enough so that she could take her hand away. "Look, he messed up big time. People do that sometimes. I mean, in Sunnydale we used to judge how big our screw-ups were on the basis of whether it caused a major or just a minor apocalypse. I'd say Peter knows what a mess he's made of everything and he's probably really sorry about it too. We should give him a second chance."

Sirius glanced away. Damned gentle, heartfelt lectures.

"The lady has a point, Padfoot," Remus called across the room without glancing up from his page. "Are you hearing this, Prongs?"

James grunted.

Dawn propped herself up on Sirius' mound of pillows so she could better see all three boys in the room. "Maybe you should all listen to this, then."

Remus closed his book, James tossed his quill aside and Sirius pushed himself up to sit beside her. Dawn stared at each boy in turn, making sure she had their full attention before she spoke. She only wanted to say this once.

"How long have you four boys been friends, huh?"

"That doesn't mean anything," James argued. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me!" Dawn leaned forwards, tensing up. "I don't want to be the reason such a strong friendship breaks up. I don't want that on my head!"

She got up and left then, giving them some time to think about what she'd said. She stalked downstairs, across the Common Room, and no sooner than she had disappeared up the girls' stairs did the portrait swing open, admitting a grim and grieved looking Professor McGonagall.

McGonagall marched upstairs and paused a moment to collect her wits. She knocked sharply. It was Remus who answered. A little thrown, he stepped back wordlessly to let her into the dorm. James and Sirius shared equally surprised glances. The Professor stopped by Sirius' bed and looked down at him with a gentler expression than he knew she could muster. It immediately iced dread through his whole body.

"Your mother has sent for you, Mr Black. You and your brother are needed at home at once," she said, sounding like she had a slight head cold.

Sirius stood up slowly. "Why?"

McGonagall shot a glance towards James and Remus hovering nearby, clearly wanting to deliver her news in private. Sirius glanced at his friends and shrugged. "I'd tell them anyway."

"Very well," McGonagall sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Sirius. Your father was killed this morning."

James and Remus both made soft sounds of sorrow, not for the fact that Mr Black was gone but for the fact that, despised or not, Sirius had just lost his father. There would be no chance for reconciliation now, no opportunities for Sirius to earn his father's pride. Sirius himself betrayed no emotion at all, refusing to even react to the blow.

"How?" he asked, eerily calm like the stillness of the air before a hurricane.

"There was a raid west of London, a skirmish broke out between the Aurors and some Death Eaters on the premises at the time."

"No prizes for guessing who my father was hanging out with," Sirius said, and there were tears in his eyes now. The first tiny droplets of a storm that would eventually have to rage out its course.

"There was no Dark Mark on his arm," McGonagall promised quietly.

James laid a hand on Sirius' shoulder, then yanked him into a rugged, brotherly hug. When he was released Remus gave him the same treatment. McGonagall set Remus the task of packing a bag to send along after Sirius and whisked Sirius himself off to Dumbledore's office where Regulus was already waiting.

Sirius stared into his younger brother's gaze, grey rimmed with red and still watering. For once there was no betrayed scowl marring his features, Sirius squeezed his eyes shut tight and hugged Regulus to him for a minute. The younger boy did not pull back right away.

"Sirius, Regulus, I'm truly sorry for your loss," Dumbledore intoned softly. The boys looked up at him. "I have a Port-Key authorised for you, it will activate as soon as you both touch it and take you straight to your mother."

Sirius nodded. "Do I have time to write a quick note, Professor? I didn't get to say goodbye to Dawn," he said.

Regulus looked away, but said nothing as Dumbledore silently offered Sirius a seat at his desk and some parchment and a quill appeared for him to use. Sirius sat, seized the quill and hesitated for the longest time. What was he supposed to write?

Only after Regulus' third impatient huff did Sirius begin to scribble. A minute later, he blew on the ink once to be sure it was dry and folded to parchment to jot 'Dawn' on the front. He gave it to the Headmaster, who promised to have a House-Elf take it to Dawn right away and handed a shiny silver kettle to Regulus. Sirius took a deep breath, blinked a few times to relieve the prickling behind his eyes, and reached out for the Port-Key to take him away.

_

* * *

_

_Kitten,_

_Sorry I had to go so suddenly- Prongs and Moony can tell you where I am. I don't know when I'll be back. I'll miss you. And I'm thinking about what you said earlier before, too._

_Love, Sirius_

Dawn stared dumbly at the note Locky had brought to her, embarrassingly while she was in the shower. A white towel was wrapped loosely about her and the ends of her hair dripped all over the parchment, making the paw print at the bottom run. She jumped up and was halfway to the door before she realised she hadn't got dressed ... And she'd left her towel behind, too.

She ran back to her things and threw some clothes on. Slipping back into the boys' dorm, she spotted James and Remus sprawled on the rug and looking sombre. Dawn went and sat with them.

"Where did he go?" she asked.

James glanced at the soggy note still clutched between her fingers. "He wrote you, then? He had to go to his family's house, Kitten. His Dad was killed by Aurors this morning; he was with a group of Death Eaters."

Dawn gasped and closed her eyes. "Oh God. Sirius," she murmured, suddenly almost crawling out of her skin with the need to be holding him tight. James just moved over so she could rest her head on his shoulder. He didn't even seem to mind that the water still streaming from her hair was drenching his clothes along with hers.

Almost a week passed with no word from Sirius. Dawn wrote him a dozen letters but did not dare to send them to the Black family home. She could just imagine the fit Mrs Black would throw if any of them fell into her hands. She'd be worse than Spike that time his tv blew up right before 'Passions'. A day before the funeral of Mr Black, Bellatrix and Narcissa Black disappeared from the Slytherin table and two days after, the four students returned to the school together.

Dawn watched from a distance as the single carriage trundled up the long drive and halted outside the castle steps. The two sets of Black siblings piled out, Sirius standing a little apart from the rest. Regulus' eyes were rimmed with red again, but Sirius' were dry. Narcissa and Bellatrix each put a protective arm around Regulus, enveloping him on both sides. The three walked through the double doors without a backward glance, leaving Sirius to head in alone.

He stepped into the place he truly considered his home, feeling able to breathe again. He'd almost forgotten hoe difficult it was to breathe the air at number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Dawn was standing there in the empty Entrance Hall, waiting for him.

He smiled tiredly. "Hey baby."

In a quick rush of steps she was right with him, holding him tight. She squeezed so tight it actually hurt him, but Sirius didn't say anything. He didn't want her letting go. Dawn started kissing him all over his face. Sirius just closed his eyes and let her heal him however she wanted.

"I'm sorry," she breathed between kisses. "I missed you, write you so many letters ... Are you ok?"

"I am now," he said.

It was a long time before they moved out of the Entrance Hall. Dawn offered to stop by the Kitchens and pick Sirius up a late meal, but for once he wasn't hungry. They walked up to Gryffindor tower slowly, Sirius murmuring bits and pieces about his week when he felt like it, walking in silence when he didn't. The other three boys were waiting expectantly for Sirius when he and Dawn stepped into the dorm; his bag had arrived from the Hogwarts Express a little while earlier.

James and Remus came over at once, Peter hovered uncertainly in the background. James had stopped being quite so cold to him while Sirius was away, but Peter knew it still wasn't all right with them. He watched James and Remus each hug Sirius briefly and he realised how much he really wanted it to be all right with them again.

Remus and James separated, leaving Peter and Sirius standing face to face. Peter trembled a little, but there was no hostility, no threat in Sirius' eyes. Just tiredness. He seemed to be waiting for Peter to speak.

"I'm ... s-s-so sorry, Padfoot," Peter stammered, pleading. "About y-your f-father and- and everything! I d-didn't mean ... I'll never ... please believe me ... Please, I w-want you to be my friend again, c-can you forgive m-me?"

Sirius continued to stare in silence. Then, slowly, he extended his hand to accept the apology and call a truce. He couldn't see Dawn, she was standing a bit behind him, but he could feel the pride rolling off her in waves to bring him warmth. Peter grabbed the offered hand, sealing the bargain and putting the whole mess behind them without another word. After a moment, they let go. Sirius arched an eyebrow at Peter.

"Come here, Wormtail, you big git," he said affectionately, yanking the startled boy into a rough hug and waiting for the others to join them.

Dawn borrowed another oversized shirt from James and, a few minutes after the others had disappeared behind their bed curtains she slid into Sirius' bed. He let her arrange them comfortably together so she was stretched out and cradling his head against her chest. She absently smoothed his hair down in soothing movements.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" she asked, craning her neck to kiss the top of his head.

"Yeah, Kitten. I'll be fine now that I'm home," Sirius murmured, beginning to fiddle with Dawn's buttons.

"I'm sorry I didn't send any of those letters. I wrote them, but I didn't send any because I didn't want to cause you problems with your family."

Sirius, busily enjoying the fact that he'd managed to pull quite a few of Dawn's buttons apart while she'd been speaking, didn't seem overly upset. "I know, baby. I wish I'd taken Hector with me so I could write to you," he said, and placed a kiss between the folds of her nightshirt.

Dawn bit back a giggle as his lips tickled sensitive skin. "I'm proud of you," she said softly.

Sirius grinned cheekily. "Am I impressing you with my ability to unfasten buttons?"

"Would you stop messing around?" she said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm trying to be all concerned and comforting here."

Sirius kissed her chest again. "I happen to be finding you very comforting right now. But why are you proud of me?" With a superhuman effort, he turned his face up to hers.

Dawn glanced in the direction of Peter's bed. "For proving you could be a bigger man and forgive someone when they make a mistake."

He shrugged, moving both their bodies simply because they were so close together. "What you said made a lot of sense when I had that much time to think about it. But I don't have any other competition for you that I should be worried about, do I?" he asked, regarding her with mock-shrewdness.

"Only Romulus Lupin," Dawn replied with a giggle.

"Great," Sirius snorted. "My major competition is a bloody six year old."

"He's almost seven," Dawn joked, as if that made all the difference. "And he sends me love letters."

"Well I'll be putting a right stop to that, won't I?"

Dawn pouted. "But I like getting love letters."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sirius grinned, stretching up for a kiss.

It didn't take Sirius long to catch up on all the work he'd missed. Remus and Dawn had made more notes in all his classes than he'd taken all year, Remus had organised all his assignments to that he had only to put the points into complete sentences and Dawn had even made up a stack of dreams for his undernourished Dream Journal.

A few days after his return, Dawn was surprised to find Hector tapping at the window to the girls' dorm while they were all getting dressed. As she opened the window to let him in, she remembered her and Sirius' little conversation about love letters and her stomach fluttered in anticipation. Hector perched on the end of her bed, Dawn gave him a quick pat and a bit of water from the goblet on her bedside table before she took the parchment from his foot.

She opened and read the letter, which was really more of a short note. She wasn't sure if she should laugh or blush. While she was staring at the words, Isabel came to skim them over her shoulder. The blond burst out laughing.

"That's so 'Sirius'. Only he could make something like that seem sweet."

Dawn gave up and smiled, reading the words again.

_I remember feeling like you were everything to me. The first time was perfection, do you wonder about the second taste as much as I do?_

* * *

A.N: Questions? Comments? Free computer parts? (my monitor exploded the other day)

Anoron


	22. Both Sides Now

**Disclaimer:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all involved with it belongs to Joss Whedon. Same goes for Harry Potter stuff and JK Rowling. The fantastic song 'Both Sides Now' is by Joni Mitchell. Rivendell is the creation of JRR Tolkein.

**A.N:** There are two things in here that make references to other works (which I don't own). Gold stars for anyone who correctly guesses both. Love my reviewers.

**Sonofgloin:**Glad you liked the new lots of breaks format I had a crack at. Just sort of worked out that way for this chapter, don't know if I'll keep up with it too much. Yes, I do like to tease you. How did you guess? And it's easy for you to say exams aren't important- yours are already bloody finished!! XX00

**Angie:**Hehe I had so much _fun _with that last part! Yay- I made you feel for Sirius. I love making people react to things I write emotionally! LOL- I am an evil tease, coz you'll have to keep waiting for the werewolf to come out of the closet. It will get just a _little_ closer next time round, though.

**Kat:**Hey Kat! Love you too- reviewers are like people who worship at my temple. Please continue & you will have my undying gratitude. If I get to command you- then please keep defending my work & praising it and making me feel like a literary genius. It's good inspiration for fast updates. Feel free to ruthlessly attack any flamers, too! XX00

**PomegranateQueen:**Thanks! (I do try!)

**Clcountry:**Oooh, I don't know exactly when the wolfy issue will come up. I know where in the story it's coming, and I know just what's going to happen (no I won't tell you- it's the one bombshell I'm _dying_ to let drop all on its own) but I couldn't give you an exact chapter number to wait for. Maybe in about 5 or so chapters… not too sure, sorry! But it is in the not too distant future, I promise!

**Davina:**That would be so _cool_!!! I can't wait to see what ideas you've got for Dawn and Sirius now, I hope you get to writing it soon. Also, I'm really flattered that you'd write it for me. It's a fantastic gift to me, I'm always lamenting the lack of Dawn/Marauders fic in the world! You didn't expect Peter liking Dawn? Really? Re-read closely if you like, the signs are all there. 'Choosing My Confessions', 'Imitation of Life' and 'Unchained Melody' have the biggest hints, but there are other scattered ones throughout, like in the end parts of 'Christmas is all Around' particularly when Romulus comes into play Thanks for the review, and I'm looking forward to this story of yours now, Davina!

**Saxifrage:**Ok, so maybe 'exploded' wasn't quite the right term for my computer. Fizzled and made loud noises is more like. Either way, it was both bad and slightly cool to watch. I'm grateful for all this input, and you've given me a lot to think about, so I'll try & explain myself as best I can. As far as future Scooby interaction, it's still on the maybe (but probably) pile. The whole point of this is to take Dawn away from both the Scooby gang and Sunnydale and see what she comes up with on her own in a whole new setting. I know she fit into the Marauders' world too perfectly, but as far as the evil presence thing goes, I look at it this way: there was no consequence for Buffy going through the Glory-portal in the first place, only a trade-off for her being forced back. Nobody in the HP world brought Dawn over specifically, it was a mere fluke so the universe doesn't have to bring evil to balance out a 'gift' for anyone. As far as Buffy-verse style random mysteries go, Dawn is not a Slayer. I've done other stories where Dawn becomes a heroine in her own right (the Ilfirin Meleth series, a LOTR crossover) but this Dawn is a little different. She's, for lack of a better word, a wussy version of Dawn. And their big threat is Voldemort, the Marauders are much more carefree than the Golden Trio, so I don't see them looking for dangerous trouble. Just the naughty kind. That being said, demons and the like _will_ come into the sequel in some form. I'm not sure how major a role they will play, but I promise they will be there. Hope you stick with me til then! And have you ever wondered what the consequences would be for the two teens who have sex like they have breakfast? I've become curious…

Thanks for the loofa! Best present ever!

Cheers!

**Eyexcandy:**I didn't lie, I swear! And look what you've made me do- now I can't study coz I just _have_ to work on this chapter. LOL. Just kidding, who needs to study anyway?

**Chicklepea:**At least you're honest. But as all whores are, I am more a fan of quantity than quality, so consider this the review-whore's permission for you to keep reviewing just as a bookmark… so long as you DO keep reviewing! And keep enjoying, while you're at it!

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

**Both Sides Now**

"Ok, we all ready?" James looked to his four best friends to receive four eager nods. "Well then, hit the lights if you please Mr Moony."

Remus flicked his wand twice. All the lanterns dimmed and the curtain slid across to cover the window. The Marauders were left in a the middle of the dorm with the glow of a ring of candles about them. Once they'd all settled, James took a hold of the black cloth covering something on the floor and whipped it away with a flourish.

Then he swore loudly as the end of the cloth flicked into a candle, toppling it over and spilling the wax all over the rug. The cloth itself began to smoulder and burn, James let out a yelp but Remus was quick with a watering spell to avert total disaster. The others burst out laughing, but when the commotion had passed there was a blank, unassuming piece of parchment folded and laying on the floor in between them.

"Is that…? Is it finished?" Dawn squealed.

Sirius nodded. Completed and ready for the grand unveiling. Only Dawn and Peter had yet to see the finished product, the other boys had been bringing it up to show them on the day that Peter had kissed Dawn. A flash of anger coursed through Sirius at the memory and he shot a dirty look at Peter. He'd forgiven, but he sure as hell hadn't forgotten. Peter seemed to sense the subtle change in the atmosphere and shifted instinctively away from Sirius and Dawn.

When he'd finally managed to pick most of the wax out of the rug, James turned around, commanded his friends' attention once more, and rested the tip of his wand on the centre of the parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Dawn snorted. Then she gasped. Ink had blossomed onto the parchment, forming intricate letters:

_In the name of the Kitten,_

_Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief Makers_

_are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

Peter stared, wide-eyed in wonder and Dawn laughed in delight. "This is so cool," she squealed.

"Go on, Kitten, you can open it up," Sirius encouraged, loving the way her face lit up.

Carefully, slowly, Dawn began to unfold the Map and smooth it out on the floor. The lines that ran all over, outlining every known detail about the school and its grounds, she had seen before. But the hundreds of little dots, scattered and moving all around were new to her. And each one was labelled with a person's name.

"What do you think?" Remus asked, beaming with pride. This had, after all, been his idea in the first place.

"It's really neat," Peter said immediately.

"It's amazing, Rem," Dawn added. She leaned over it to try to find Gryffindor tower. "Where are we?"

"You can't see us?" Sirius asked, arching an eyebrow.

Dawn just shrugged. "Haven't you ever heard that stereotype about women being unable to read maps?"

"Must be one of those Muggle things," James said wryly. He tapped at the top part of the Map. "We're up here, Kitten."

Dawn scanned the area James had indicated. "Cool!" she said a minute later, having found them. "We're all in red!"

Sirius nodded. "Lines in black, Professors in green, students in blue, Marauders in red. Look closer at us- look at the dots," he hinted.

She did, and immediately realised what Sirius was getting at. The Marauders themselves did not have dots, but little drawings. They did not even have their real names. 'Moony' was accompanied by a crescent moon, 'Wormtail' by a little rat, 'Padfoot' had his paw print and 'Prongs' his antlers. Dawn couldn't help but grin at the tiny cat silhouette beside her own 'Kitten'.

"I think the lady approves," James noted. He touched his wand to the Map again. "Mischief managed."

"Dude," was all Dawn could say as the ink faded from the parchment.

Peter folded it carefully back down to size. "Where are we keeping it?" he asked.

"In Moony's top drawer," Sirius said. "Since it was his idea and all."

"Since it's less likely to get lost that way," Remus corrected.

Dawn glanced at the personal space of each of the four boys in turn. Sirius' was a big mess, always was, as was James'. Peter's was scarcely better off, only Remus' space was at all ordered and presentable. She nodded at him, but only so the other boys couldn't see as he took the Map, grinned at her, and slid it safely into his drawer.

"Hmm, I should go. It is getting pretty late," Dawn conceded, yawning as she got to her feet and stepped gingerly over the ring of candles.

Sirius jumped up beside her. "I'll walk you back downstairs,"

"Ok. Night, guys," Dawn called as she and Sirius left the boys' dorm.

"He'll be gone at least an hour," James predicted as the door clicked shut.

When the pair stepped into the Common Room, it was deserted but for the lonely crackle of the fire. Sirius took Dawn's hand and guided her over to the couch. She glanced up at him, questioning.

"Don't go upstairs yet," he said and pulled her down onto the couch alongside him.

Dawn smiled, cuddling up to his for a kiss. Sirius was only too happy to oblige, shifting closer into her warmth. After a while they broke off, just laying in silence and watching the fire slowly die.

"Dawn, do you remember the note I sent you the other day?" Sirius finally asked.

Dawn blushed slightly. There was no way she could forget that. Even if she managed it (not that she particularly wanted to) Isabel was always right there to remind her. "Of course I do."

"Well?" he prompted softly, trying to get a clearer view of her face. "Do you ever think about it? About what it would be like to do that again?" He stopped breathing to wait for her answer. Dawn slowly shifted around so she could look at him. It was a long time before she spoke.

"All the time, Sirius," she whispered.

"Do- do you want it to happen again?" he asked, blue locked on blue.

"Y-yes," she swallowed. "But I'm still nervous about it, still not sure of myself when we … when we're…"

He arched an eyebrow and smirked. "If you've done it, you should be able to say it," he informed her.

"Notice you haven't yet," Dawn shot back, colour rising ever so slightly in her cheeks. "Ok… when we're making love," she finished quietly.

Sirius played with the ends of her hair. "You don't have to be unsure, baby. You know I'll take care of you, don't you?"

She smiled, kissed him then.

"I do."

* * *

'_Yo I'll tell ya what I want, what I really, really w-_ '

Lily, Isabel and Dawn shrieked as the CD emitted a shower of sparks and melted into a foul-smelling puddle. Isabel flopped back against the couch in defeat, colliding with Dawn's legs. Lily huffed and threw her wand down angrily.

"The energy is still of," Lily muttered.

Dawn smirked. "Maybe the spell just doesn't like your taste in music," she suggested.

Lily snorted, glancing at the now-empty Backstreet Boys, Neil Diamond and Spice Girls CD cases. "Give me some credit, Dawn. I stole them from my sister's collection when I was home for Christmas."

"You, Lily Evans, a thief?" Isabel burst out in mock horror. "Hand back your Prefect badge this instant!"

"You have a sister?" Dawn blinked.

Lily rolled her eyes at Isabel and then grimaced at Dawn. "Yes, I have an older sister. Petunia, she's seventeen. Call the CDs payback for five years of emotional torture and backdated birthday and Christmas presents."

"Ok. There's a story there," Dawn realised.

"You have no idea," Isabel muttered, laying her head back on Dawn's knee so she could look up at her upside-down. "I met her once, and if Lily's the witch in the Evans family, then Petunia's the witch with a capital B."

Lily nodded while she began to vanish the CD puddle from the Common Room floor. "She really doesn't like magic, has barely strung two sentences together to speak to me since I got my acceptance letter. I guess it probably didn't help, the way my parents were about it. I mean, you met them at Parents' Weekend, they're all 'Lily this and Lily that'. It's really important to them, me being special, but I guess it's hard on Petunia. Because the only thing special about her is the length of her neck," Lily joked, looking up for the first time since their conversation had taken this unexpected turn.

Dawn stared silently at Lily, a whole series of new thoughts occurring to her. Thoughts about pressures, and sisters, and having to be special. Dawn started to think that maybe she understood a little more about both Lily and Buffy now. It wasn't so much that they wanted to be the one who was chosen, the special one. They had to be. Dawn, for the first time, realised that maybe she should've given Buffy a break sometimes. She'd done her best.

Lily stared back at Dawn, then slowly arched one eyebrow.

Dawn coloured. "Sorry. Too many thoughts."

The Prefect shrugged and smiled slightly. "I'm saving all my good CDs for when the spell stops melting them."

"Good plan," Dawn said, smiling back.

Isabel leaned forwards to go over the formula of their spell with Lily, the girls both trying to spot the flaws in their work. Dawn turned her attention back to her own homework, reminding herself that she wouldn't be becoming an Auror without a lot of effort. It didn't help that Isabel and Lily's project just seemed so much more interesting; she kept getting so caught up in it that she probably knew almost as much about the project as the girls themselves. She eventually managed to tune out the quiet debate her friends were holding over the length of wand movements and was on page 467 of the copy of 'Charms: A Guide to Outstanding Marks' she'd borrowed from the Library by the time she was next distracted.

"Enough of this," Lily sighed, pushing the formula away from her as if it was an empty dinner plate.

"You're calling it quits?" Dawn asked hopefully. If even Lily was finishing up, she didn't have to feel guilty about abandoning her book.

Lily's green eyes fixed on Dawn, a little confused by the suggestion. "No, it's just time for my scheduled study break," she said simply.

Dawn almost laughed, but Isabel shot her a warning look to shut her up. It wasn't a joke. "Ok then," Dawn said, nonplussed.

Isabel couldn't resist a little giggle after that, and both she and Dawn quickly dissolved into peals of laughter. Lily just stared at them.

"What's so funny?" she finally asked.

"You know we love you Lils, but-" Isabel choked on her snickers.

"But who else would schedule breaks into a little before dinner homework and study session?" Dawn supplied when it became apparent that Isabel was incapable of finishing the sentence.

"Am I that bad?" Lily frowned. The silence that replied was answer enough. She looked down. "I'm not boring all the time, you know," she said quietly.

"Of course you're not sweetie," Isabel said with an encouraging smile. "We didn't mean it like that."

Dawn smiled at her. Lily reminded her of Willow's brains with Buffy's drive to be the best. "There's nothing wrong with who you are Lily. You remind me of my old family."

Lily, however, didn't seem to hear any of the comfort Dawn and Isabel had offered. She was lost in her own thoughts. "I can be spontaneous, and funny, I don't always stop everyone from having their fun," she said, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself.

Isabel and Dawn exchanged confused glances.

"Fine then," Lily said, louder. Her eyes sparkled with a new sort of rebellious excitement. "No more scheduled study breaks. In fact, no more study at all!"

"Whoa- slow down there Lils," Isabel laughed. "One step at a time. Let's just take the rest of the day off and see how we go?"

Lily nodded eagerly. "Ok. What should we do? Ice-skating on the lake? No, I know- we could go near the edge of the Forbidden Forest without a Professor!"

"Hop off the outlaw train, Lily. You'll land us all in detention," Dawn warned with friendly sarcasm. "Let's just refuse to have a remotely intelligent conversation until dinner time. Now pick a stupid topic."

"Um…" Lily frowned. Being stupid was harder than she thought.

Isabel grinned at the obvious trouble Lily was having. "Ok, I'll start then. What would you want a boy to say to you when you're about to do it for the first time?"

"'Hey, don't I know you?'" Dawn immediately supplied.

"'This won't take long'," Isabel topped.

They laughed loudly, then turned to Lily to await her response. The redhead bit her lip, a pensive look coming over her face. "You're thinking too much," Dawn chided.

"'What's your name, again?'" Lily finally mumbled, blushing as her friends laughed and joining in the fun at last. "Ok, next question. What would be your prefect setting?" she asked, blurting it out while she was still buzzing from the success of the first wilfully stupid thing she'd ever said.

"Hmm," Isabel mused. "Well Dawn seems to like the boys' dorm."

"Whereas Isabel prefers the toilets on the Hogwarts Express," Dawn retorted, blushing slightly. During the exchange, none of the girls noticed four boys enter the Common Room and stop just behind the couch they were all lounging against.

"Something nice, something comfortable," Isabel said. "With a view: mountains. I like mountain views."

Dawn and Lily both nodded. "Nice. I would've said a little cottage on a secluded beach. One of those ones without civilization for miles and miles. Your turn, Dawn."

Dawn thought it over. "Rivendell," she finally said. "With the daybed and the eternal autumn and the waterfalls. That would be gorgeous."

"It would," Lily agreed, imagining the scenery with a wistful smile.

"What _are_ you girls talking about?" Sirius burst out at last. It sounded like mushy, girly stuff, but he and the other three Marauders couldn't quite get a handle on what the girls were discussing.

"Nothing," Dawn said, trying to hide the secretive smirk she'd been sharing with the girls from him.

"This is one of those 'don't ask' things, isn't it?" Remus asked Isabel, who nodded as she laughed.

"Just a quiet mid-afternoon rebellion," she assured him.

"Evans is involved in a rebellion?" James asked, his whole face lighting up. "Be still my heart."

Lily shot Dawn and Isabel a defeated look, sighed, and picked up her book again.

* * *

"May I ask you something, cousin?" a haughty voice asked, accompanied by a disdainful sniff. 

"I thought we agreed not to acknowledge the horrible fact that we're related," Sirius commented. "Pretending you don't exist suited me just fine."

Ignoring the remark, Narcissa sashayed forwards to place her reed-like frame in Sirius' path. Dawn tried not to show any expression as she took in the blond Black close up for the first time. Her hair and skin were pale, the eyes that glared coolly from the infuriatingly dainty face were only a shade darker than Sirius'. Her face was made up flawlessly, and each blond strand had been tortured and captured in a twist at the back of her head. She was even better groomed than Cordelia in high school, and had even more product (magical, of course) in her hair than Angel on a heavy day.

Sirius just arched an eyebrow at Narcissa, who was standing between the Marauders and the entrance to the Great Hall. She arched one right back, years of practice making the gesture perfectly regal: the look of a Slytherin Queen.

"Do you have any honour at all, Sirius?"

"Do you?" he retorted.

"How dare you insult me," Narcissa said, her back stiffening. "You just keep going from bad to worse, where does it end? First, you get sorted into Gryffindor," she said, her nose wrinkling as if she'd smelled something foul. "You consort with half-bloods and blood-traitors, you show no respect for your family."

Sirius glanced at Dawn, rolling his eyes slightly. "What's that phrase? Bored now," he said in a droning voice.

He went to simply step around Narcissa, but she moved to block his exit. The contemptuous air about her gave way to a hint of anger. James and Remus shared a look. Funny as Narcissa's tantrums could be, they could also be quite dangerous. Narcissa was far more spiteful, even if she was less prone to attack than her younger sister.

"I'm not finished," she snapped. "You disgust me. You shame our very name to defy your parents, cavorting about with that Mudblood," –"Watch it," Sirius growled- "Like a lovesick puppy, but last week you just went too far, cousin."

Dawn felt the change in the atmosphere rolling in like a storm on the sea. Sirius' jaw set, he was still sensitive about the week he'd spent at Grimmauld Place. Even Dawn and James didn't know most of what had transpired while he was away.

"Oh, and what did I do to make that dear little delicate nose that Lucius the Rapist loves so much wrinkle in distaste?" he asked, all trace of nonchalance lost despite the words he chose.

Narcissa looked properly horrified about Sirius' accusations towards her boyfriend. A light smattering of pink washed over her cheeks and her eyes narrowed. "I am talking about your father's funeral," she said, barely restraining herself from stamping her foot. "Poor Regulus, and your mother must've been so embarrassed! You spend your worthless life throwing all the things your father tried to give you back in his face, and you can't even bring yourself to shed a tear as they bury him? A new low, even for you."

"Don't be so ridiculous, Narcissa," Sirius snapped, his face aflame. "You're throwing a hissy fit because I didn't let everyone see me cry?"

"You embarrassed Regulus," Narcissa retorted. "You made him think it was wrong for him to show how upset he was just because you're a callous little ingrate. Your bad example is always confusing him!"

Dawn, Remus and James exchanged glances, a little confused. Something felt off about Narcissa's tirade, like she was just looking for any old excuse to confront Sirius. Like she was holding onto a bigger bombshell. Sirius, thinking Narcissa was just feeling left out because it was always Bellatrix who got to confront him, just rolled his eyes at her.

"That's because your precious baby cousin Regulus couldn't put his robes on in the morning without someone choosing them for him," he informed her. He was tired of making excuses for Regulus' weakness. His little brother had the same options that Sirius himself did.

Narcissa glanced away, quickly reassessing her plan of attack. "Do you even care how your father died?" she asked silkily.

"Yes," Sirius said, quieter now. "He mixed with the wrong crowd and got caught up in their mess."

A perfect blond eyebrow arched disdainfully. "Well isn't that just a lovely, bloodless way of looking at it, cousin? Saves you having to ask the real question of who actually killed your father. But I can tell you that," she said, her voice dropping to a gleeful whisper.

"Oh please," Remus spoke up for the first time. "There's no way you could possibly know that."

Narcissa didn't even glance at the dirty little half-blood abomination who'd dared speak to her. "I do know. Marius Malfoy has many friends in high places within the Ministry. Friends more than willing to sneak him a glance at the official reports from the incident," she said in a savage whisper, eyes gleaming strangely and darting between the five friends before settling again on Sirius. "It was Harold Potter who killed your father. You've always wished you were one of them, haven't you? What do you think of your boyfriend's family now?"

Before Remus could yell at her to leave, she was gone. Peter had gasped out loud and Dawn had clapped a hand over her gaping mouth while James stared shakily at the spot Narcissa had just vacated. The only person who didn't react with some display of horrified shock was Sirius himself, who was glancing at James almost apologetically. Remus studied him.

"You already knew," the werewolf realised.

Sirius looked down. James whipped his head around to stare accusingly at his best friend. There was no mistaking the sparks in his hazel depths, even amongst all the confusion there.

"Let's go somewhere private," Dawn suggested quickly. She could tell there was a big discussion coming on, probably better not to stage it where they could so easily be overheard by the entire school.

"The Room of Requirement, then?" Remus suggested, urging James and Sirius off in that direction.

The walk up to the seventh floor was silent, awkward, with the five of them rushing to try to escape the stifling presences of their own friends around them. They reached the concealed entrance, thinking of a quiet place to talk as they paced. On their third turn, Dawn hears somebody's (probably Peter's) stomach grumble. When the door appeared, they opened it to find a space not unlike the Common Room with a small banquet laid on a table against the back wall.

Remus settled on the beanbag immediately (he had a fascination for them), while Dawn and Sirius automatically took the love seat and James slumped in the leather recliner. When he'd fixed a plate up, Peter joined the rest taking a seat on the rug in front of the fire.

"All right," Remus said slowly. "So we should talk about this."

"We should," Dawn agreed, looking around to see if anybody was going to volunteer.

The silence echoed throughout several minutes, interrupted only by the soft crunch of Peter's teeth as he chewed, and the dull drumming of James' fingers against the arm of his chair. They all looked between each other.

"One of you should speak before the next full moon," Dawn suggested, looking between Sirius and James. Sirius just shrugged, though the gesture seemed to provoke James.

"Padfoot, what the hell?" he burst out, straightening the back of the recliner with a snap of the metal skeleton. "How could you not tell me that? How did you even find out?"

Sirius looked at James, then studied the floor like a conscientious student. "Your Dad sent me a letter a couple of days after I got called back to my parents'… my mother's place. He told me what happened."

"And you didn't tell me about this because…?"

"Because it's none of your damn business!" Sirius snapped, pounding his fist against the arm rest.

"Like hell it isn't!" James roared back, pushing against the recliner to catapult himself to his feet. "This is my Dad killing someone we're talking about here!"

Sirius was on his feet and yelling, too. "It wasn't just some random person he killed James, it was my father. So forgive me for not wanting to share the gory details."

James rumpled his hair, an emotionally triggered habit. "But Padfoot, you could've said_something_ to us. To me," he said, his voice quieter now.

Sirius shrugged, as he often did when he was in a mood. "Your Dad asked me not to. When he told me what happened, he said he'd take it back in a heartbeat if he could. He'd never killed anyone in a duel before, always went for the lesser curses. Usually the binding ones. He-" Sirius' voice started to crack, he hid his face from his friends' eyes.

Remus and Peter looked down, not wanting to embarrass their friend by watching him cry. With a build-up of empathetic tears in her own eyes, Dawn stood to wrap her arms around Sirius. Her hands rested on his chest and she laid her cheek against his back. James looked on the verge of apologising, but Sirius beat him to speech.

"Mr P said he was sorry and that he'd understand if I didn't forgive him. And then he promised to make sure I'd never want for anything because he'd taken my father away from me and asked that, if nothing else, I didn't tell you what he'd done. I think he's worried you'll be mad at him or something," Sirius said softly. He brought a hand up and squeezed Dawn's until his knuckles were white.

James' hand raced through his hair once more, his face scrunched up as if trying to decipher a difficult potions method. "So you weren't going to tell me, but it's alright for me to find out from someone like Narcissa the Viper? That's fair," he scoffed.

"Prongs," Remus said gently. "He couldn't have suspected a leak in the Ministry, the _Prophet_ certainly hasn't got a hold of it yet. Your Dad knows how much you hate anything about the Dark Arts, he wouldn't want you to be disappointed if he had to use a Dark Curse in a duel."

Peter nodded furiously, not wanting them to fight any more.

"I guess," James said grudgingly. "Sorry to bring all that up on you, Padfoot mate."

Sirius, still not showing his face, nodded. "That's ok," he said, his voice crackling and wet. "You guys think you could go? Leave me alone for a while?"

"Sure," James said sympathetically. It was hard for boys to really cry in front of each other, even when they really did have a reason to cry. Three of the Marauders silently made their way out of the Room of Requirement, Peter still absently holding onto his empty plate.

Dawn's arms were still clamped around Sirius' chest. "Do you want me to go, too?" she asked, loosening her grip.

"No," Sirius choked.

The door clicked shut behind the others and Dawn started moving around to stand in front of Sirius. He kept his wet face angled away. Even though he knew she'd seen him cry once before, he hadn't actually let her see his face while he was doing it. a part of him just didn't want her to see his weakness. He was supposed to be strong. Dawn gently took his face in her hands and guided his gaze to hers.

"It's ok to cry," she said, soft but firm. "Don't hold back from me when you're hurting, I can help you make it better."

After a moment, he nodded slightly to show he understood her. Dawn stretched up to kiss his tears away, even though new ones flooded down to take their place. They ended up collapsed in a heap on the rug, Sirius' arms wrapped around Dawn's waist and his face buried into her stomach as he sobbed uncontrollably. Dawn stroked his hair and his back and murmured loving nonsense to him until he was left shuddering, but quiet.

A few minutes of silence followed in the aftermath before she started to talk to him again. "Sometimes grief just sneaks up on you and if you don't deal with it, it can hit you pretty hard from behind."

Sirius sniffed. "I'm so confused, Kitten," he whispered.

"I know, baby, I know," Dawn soothed. "It's natural to be confused. Losing a parent was hard enough, but then you've got this whole complicated relationship with your family to consider, too. So you're probably feeling lots of things that don't add up right about now. You're grieving, and you're also probably feeling guilty because you didn't get along with your Dad. And maybe deep down you're even a little relieved that he can't disapprove of you anymore, and upset because now he'll never approve of you either. God, Sirius, you can't keep all that stuff to yourself- you'll explode. Or become a minor kleptomaniac," she added, reflecting on past experiences.

Sirius pulled a face at her. "A kleptomaniac?" he asked. It was about the only thing she'd said that hadn't made perfect sense to him.

She glanced down with a hint of a shamed blush. "I may have done some stupid things when Mom died. Stopped going to school, stole little things, gave my sister a bit of attitude. I thought that if I did things like that, people would notice how much I was hurting and try to help me through it."

"Did it work?" Sirius asked.

"No," Dawn snorted. She moved over to rest her back against the beanbag, Sirius still curled around her for comfort. "As far as I know, Anya never even missed the earrings and the other stuff just got Buffy really ticked off at me."

"So what should I do then?" Sirius asked.

"What would make you feel better?" Dawn countered.

He turned his face up to her, eyes slowly beginning to dry. "Sing for me," he whispered.

Dawn smiled and brushed a hand across his cheek and then up to cup his head, fingers entwined in his hair. "Any requests?"

"Anything, so long as I get to hear your voice."

Dawn nodded, kissed his forehead, and began to sing.

_Bows and flows of angel hair, and ice-cream castles in the air_

_and feather canyons everywhere; I've looked at clouds that way._

_But now they only block the sun, they rain and they snow on everyone._

_So many things I would've done, but clouds got in my way._

_I've looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down_

_but still somehow it's cloud illusions I recall_

_I really don't know clouds at all._

_Moons and junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy-dancing way that you feel_

_As every fairytale comes real; I've looked at love that way._

_But now it's just another show and you leave 'em laughing when you go_

_and if you cared don't let them know, don't give yourself away._

_I've looked at love from both sides now, from give and take_

_but still somehow it's love's illusions I recall, I really don't know love_

_I really don't know love at all._

_Tears, and fears, and feeling proud to say I love you right out loud_

_Dreams and schemes and circus crowds; I've looked at life that way._

_Oh but now old friends they're acting strange, and they shake their heads,_

_and they tell me that I've changed. But something's lost _

_and something's gained in living every day._

_Oh I've looked at life from both sides now, from win and lose_

_but still somehow it's life's illusions that I recall_

_I really don't know life at all._

_It's life's illusions that I recall, I really don't know life_

_I really don't know life at all._

Sirius eyes had completely dried by the time Dawn had finished singing. He looked up at her with a small smile. "I think I'm ready to go back now."

_

* * *

__Dawn frowned as she walked through the darkened streets of Sunnydale, knowing both too much and not enough at the same time. She knew she was looking for a Doctor of some kind, but she wasn't sure how she knew, or exactly what Doctor she was even looking for. Her gut feeling told her it wasn't an everyday GP._

_She kept walking until she came to a building lit up like a Christmas tree, smothered in fluorescent lights. Dawn walked inside and up to the counter of the DoubleMeat Palace, where Buffy stared blankly at her._

_"My hat has a cow," Buffy said._

_Dawn nodded. "I had noticed that. Buffy, what does all this mean?"_

_"I'm just working counter now, not grill," Buffy announced._

_Dawn sighed. She was beginning to hate this; dreams that were obviously meant to tell her something but didn't make even the slightest bit of sense to her._

_"Love the hair," she told Buffy, feeling dejected._

_Buffy moved on to serve a new customer, Dawn turned and stalked out of the building, shoving her way through the glass doors. Outside, she almost barrelled Anya, Xander and Willow over as they tried to head into the DoubleMeat Palace._

_"We come to support her subsistence level employment," Anya said brightly._

_Xander reached out and tried to tickle her. "How's my sweet, fancy Dawn?" he asked in a babytalk voice._

_Dawn jumped back, a memory of a time Xander had actually said that to her flashing into the back of her mind. Without a word, she rushed away into the night._

_"But Dawnie, don't you want a burger?" Willow called after her, sounding forlorn._

_Dawn didn't respond. Without the glaring beacon of the DoubleMeat Palace to guide her, the night suddenly seemed much darker, more foreboding. Every rustle of leaves, every snapped twig from behind her heralded an unseen threat. She went to run, but caught sight of a red gleam that stopped her in her tracks. Red eyes. They studied her from the darkness, driving a stake of cold fear through her heart._

_"I'm watching you," a voice hissed, sounding like it was coming from everywhere at once. "I'm waiting for you."_

_Dawn just nodded in response. A part of her had always known they'd come for her eventually. She blinked, all of a sudden standing in the foyer of the Summers' home. Riley shrugged at her._

_"A lot can happen in a year," Riley said._

_"I'm getting that." Dawn wrinkled her nose at him. "I'm looking for a Doctor," she said, still slightly confused by it all._

_"Me too. I can show you. You look all grown up to me."_

_"Ok."_

_Riley opened the door for her and they stepped back into the night. As they strolled along, a great black dog trotted up out of the shadows. Padfoot licked Dawn's hand in greeting, then sniffed Riley's hand experimentally before giving a small, almost approving 'ruff'. Dawn and Riley watched Padfoot bolting ahead of them, snapping at cats and chasing his tail._

_"Good dog," Riley chuckled. "Playful."_

_"That he is," Dawn agreed, smiling to herself._

_Riley nodded. "Is he a good guy, though? He treat you right?"_

_An enormous smile brightened Dawn's face. "Yes. He's perfect."_

_As if he'd heard, Padfoot looked back and barked happily, his tail wagging like mad. Dawn giggled softly._

_"You'll rip his heart out," Riley predicted, watching Dawn sorrowfully._

_"I'm not her," Dawn said, shaking her head. "I'm not her."_

_Riley looked down. "We're here," he said gruffly, pushing the door of Spike's crypt open._

_Dawn looked around to call Padfoot back to her, but he was darting between trees and headstones in a frenzy of black fur, so euphoric in his freedom that she thought it would be wrong to rein him in. She watched as a couple of fledgling vampires scattered from the black, growling cannonball tearing through their midst, smiling wistfully. Then she followed Riley into Spike's home._

_She almost bumped into a wide, Kevlar-clad back frozen inside the doorway. Dawn edged around Riley so she could see what had him so dumbstruck, and immediately wished she hadn't. Seeing her sister in bed with Spike was never, ever going to be one of her favourite sights._

_Buffy looked down, unable to meet Riley's gaze as she clutched the sheet to her chest. Riley himself suddenly looked like a King, gazing down at the bed with regal superiority even Narcissa would have trouble matching. Spike smirked and reclined against the pillows, lit cigarette in hand._

_"Yeah, I'm your Doctor, so what of it?" His scarred eyebrow rose over the eyes that lived within the dead face and stared deep into Dawn's._

_"What are you__really__looking for?"_

* * *

When Dawn stepped into the Common Room the next morning, Peter and Sirius were the only Marauders there. They were on one of the couches in the corner, Sirius staring around him in boredom and Peter fidgeting a little. Dawn studied the scene and had analysed it within a moment. They'd called a truce, but Dawn could tell Sirius would not forget what Peter had done in a hurry. Dawn suspected that because of the betrayal he felt from his own family, Sirius was not one to take betrayal at all lightly. From the way he kept opening his mouth without quite getting up the courage to speak, it seemed Peter could sense it, too. 

Dawn sighed, wishing there was some magical way to take back that moment. She shrugged the feeling off quickly, dismissing her mood as tiredness due to the strange dream that had interrupted her rest the night before. A minute later she was bounding over to plop into the space between the two boys.

"Good morning," she said, grinning at them both.

"Morning," Peter returned. He smiled, then glanced at Sirius and hastily looked away.

Sirius planted a kiss on Dawn's cheek. "Good morning," he said, looping an arm behind her and resting it across her shoulders. Dawn rested her head against his chest.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"They're sleeping in, the slackers. Wormtail and I just woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep."

"Early?" Dawn snorted, checking the time. "It's ten o'clock."

"Yeah," Peter shrugged. "But we've already had breakfast and everything."

Dawn pouted. "Well then who's going to take me to breakfast? I don't want to sit all alone."

Sirius glanced at Peter and rolled his eyes. "Did you really think we'd make you eat alone, Kitten? There's this 'second breakfast' concept I've been meaning to investigate, anyway. You coming, Peter?"

Even though the idea of a second breakfast sounded like heaven to Peter, he declined and let the couple set off for the Great Hall alone. Dawn took a stack of pancakes, Sirius took one twice as high and waited for Dawn to place a generous dollop of cream on both before smothering the lot with maple syrup. Dawn loved maple syrup. She occasionally even had a bite of pancake with her maple syrup.

They ate in silence, Dawn secretly enjoying the way she didn't feel the need to say anything while she was with Sirius. It had certainly helped to curb her Sunnydalian tendency to babble. Neither spoke until they were walking back towards the Common Room, holding hands.

Sirius cleared his throat slightly. "Dawn, what do you think about … Do you want to go up to the Room of Requirement tonight?" he asked quietly.

Dawn bit her lip and considered the real underlying question, what he was truly asking of her. Sirius noticed the way she balked and shook his head quickly. "Don't worry about it Kitten. I shouldn't have asked."

"What? I didn't say 'no'," Dawn said. "In fact, I do want to go with you tonight, I just wanted to think about it first." She gave him a little smile. "I wanted to be sure."

"Good. Sure is good," Sirius smiled.

Dawn looked away, suddenly shy and blushing. She couldn't believe she'd just made a date with premeditated plans to go all the way. She thought about who she was when she was in Sunnydale, and thought that the little girl she was slowly starting to leave behind would probably never have considered such a thing. Sirius chucked her chin lightly.

"Hey, don't go all shy on me now, Summers," he joked.

Dawn looked back at him and grinned through her blush. The rest of the day seemed to go on for an age. Dawn divided her time fairly evenly between willing the hours to go by faster, and then wondering if she could fake a headache so she wouldn't have to go through with it. But then dinner came and went and Sirius was leading her up to the seventh floor corridor.

She paused just before the vase and looked down. Sirius, now a few steps ahead, turned to look back at her. "Kitten? You ok?"

"Yeah," she said, still looking at her feet. "Just … nervous," she admitted.

"Oh," he made a soft noise of understanding and went back to wrap her in a hug. "Just try to relax baby. I know this is all new to you, but I promise I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to. Ok? You know that, right?"

Dawn nodded against his chest. "Course I do. I trust you. It's just me I don't trust," she mumbled, spilling all her fears into him. "What if it's … What if I'm not… good. I don't want you to be disappointed in me," she whispered.

"Never happen," Sirius promised. He pulled away a little, just enough so he could see her face. "We'll just take it nice and slow, and find what works for both of us. I'll tell you what- why don't you choose what the room looks like? That way you can pick somewhere you think you'll be comfortable," he suggested.

Dawn smiled. Now_that_ she knew just how to handle. With a small, sweet kiss, she turned and paced before the opening three times. She went to open the door that appeared, but Sirius stopped her.

"Wait," he said. "I've always wanted to do this."

Dawn let out a delighted squeal as she was swept off her feet and carried across the threshold. He set her back down, the carpet of autumn leaves crunched beneath her while stars shone brightly overhead.

"Kitten, if you ever get tired of being an Auror, I suggest you take up decorating," Sirius said, drinking in the paradise he'd walked into.

Dawn smiled. It was just what she'd wanted; they hadn't come into a room, but a whole new world. Autumn leaves surrounded a gazebo, entwined with vines and studded with candles. In the centre of the gazebo stood a daybed, not made up with sheets, but with countless strips of white silk draped over it. instead of a far wall, there was a waterfall that seemed to come from a distant mountain, rushing down to create a pristine, clear pool with a border of smooth stones. She turned her little grin in Sirius' direction.

"Welcome to Rivendell," she quipped.

Sirius took her hand and led her into the gazebo, he sat her down on the edge of the daybed and knelt before her. He kissed her knee, just peeking out of the hem of her skirt, and peeled her shoes and socks off. He then worked his own feet free before sitting beside Dawn on the edge of the bed. Planning every moment carefully to give her time to get comfortable, Sirius pushed Dawn's hair behind her shoulders and ran his thumb lightly over her bottom lip before gently claiming her mouth with his own.

Dawn slowly shifted her body a little closer to Sirius' and brought a hand up to rest on his shoulder. Sirius gave her a deeper kiss in response before pulling back a little. He scooted back to lay down, drawing Dawn in beside him and just looking at her for a moment before beginning to kiss her again.

"Are you alright?" he murmured into her hair some time later, when they were both well and truly submersed in the feel of their bodies so close together.

"Yeah," Dawn whispered back, clinging to his shirt. "You can keep going."

Sirius nodded, but did not immediately increase the intensity. He cast the protection charm, but only slowly, as it started to feel right did their clothing start to come off. Even then it was several more minutes until all their clothes were scattered through the leaves and there were no more barriers between the two bodies.

Dawn felt strange, knowing she was naked with Sirius and he was looking at her. But he seemed to like what he was seeing and she realised how much she liked that. Her self-consciousness dimmed and she began the gentle process of familiarising herself with all of his body, too. The games of looking and light touches went on for much longer, almost longer than Sirius could stand it, but finally the need to go further overtook them both like the tide rolling in.

When he finally laid her back against the mattress and took her, it was as gentle as the first time they'd made love. He moved slowly, helping to guide her through the first uncertain moments until Dawn felt comfortable enough for her body to start responding to his in its own fashion. Throughout the night Dawn and Sirius took their time exploring each other; experimenting to find out what Dawn liked best, Sirius slowly beginning to teach her all the things he most enjoyed.

When they were both satisfied and had had enough, they lay entwined together amongst the silk. The quiet talking, kissing and wrestling went on between the pair until, at long last, both fell into an exhausted sleep. Sirius was the first to awaken, drifting back into consciousness with the magically manufactured sun warming his skin. He opened his eyes and smiled at Dawn as she slept on beside him, all snatches of cream and pink in amongst the white silk that paled in comparison. He pulled her close and snuggled up to her, and Dawn gave the first signs of wakefulness by snuggling back and letting out a contented "mmm." He wasn't really sure when she began curling a lock of his hair around her fingers, but didn't pause to consider it as he kissed her closed eyelids.

"Good morning," Dawn sighed, smiling and opening her eyes at last.

"That it is," Sirius agreed. "Oh and hey, I finally figured out what you girls were on about in the Common Room the other day," he said, indicating their surroundings.

Dawn just giggled.

Sirius chuckled. "You know baby, you have quite the imagination for fantasy. Mine is much less original, and also a bit disturbing."

Dawn lifted her head to look at him properly. "Do I want to know what it involves?"

"Well we're about to find out," he shrugged. "It involves you, me, and your little school skirt…"

Dawn was about to ask him what was so terribly disturbing about that when he finished his sentence.

"… on McGonagall's desk," Sirius finished, mumbling.

Then she was almost laughing. "You can't be serious!"

"Last time I checked, I was," he smirked.

Dawn pinched his hip in retaliation, he growled and playfully wrestled her until they tumbled off the daybed. They paused for breath as the leaves crackled and crunched beneath them. Dawn wriggled about, irritated.

"This feels all scratchy," she said, wrinkling her nose. "And there are little bits of leaves stuck in my hair."

Sirius let out a short huff. "I suppose there's nothing for it, then."

Before Dawn knew what he was doing, he'd jumped to his feet, swept her up, leaves and all, and was heading for the pool at the foot of the waterfall. She squealed, and as he went to dump her in the water she hooked her arm around his neck, taking him with her.

They tumbled into the pool together, and even as they surfaced, sputtering, Sirius was reaching out to pull Dawn into his arms.


	23. Sounds Like A Personal Problem

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is Joss Whedon's genius. Harry Potter is JK Rowling's money-maker. 'Sounds Like A Personal Problem' is by Ghost of the Robot.

**A.N.**Have to pout. Nobody guessed the two things from other works in the last chapter. There was reference to 'second breakfast' (Fellowship of the Ring) and the "what would you want a boy to say to you when you're about to do it for the first time?" conversation was 'borrowed' from the pilot episode of 'My So-Called Life'. Cookies for those who noted that 'Both Sides Now' was from 'Love Actually'. This chapter's gold star question is: Who is the lead singer of Ghost of the Robot?

**Reviewers:**

**Sonofgloin:**Well, once they've blocked out the sun I'll have one of them be a mysterious impostor, LOL. Glad you liked dear Narci… and the dream is only ambiguous if you're not me (coz I know exactly what it's all hinting at, hehe). By the way- this chapter would've been up a day or two earlier, but I got distracted by a surprise visitor. Hmm. ;-)

**Saxifrage:**Well the implications of breakfast-sex shouldn't be ignored (LOL- new meaning for 2nd breakfast, what about Elevenses?) And I think it's cool you can talk to your Mum about stuff like that- young people's lives wouldn't be screwed up nearly so often if more parents were actually approachable that way. And Oooh- can I have a red loofa pretty please? I like red. Your loofa ceiling sounds cool- I just have a cross hanging from mine. But I have angel dolls on my shelves and song lyrics plastered around my computer, so that makes up for it. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving and I've had my fingers crossed for you with that writing competition.

I'm really honoured that you would ask me for writing advice. I'm no Dickens or Chekhov (or even a JKR) but I've taken a couple of creative writing courses at my uni and I'm happy to share all I've learned from those. My first thing to say is 'write from your gut'. Go with what feels right inside (don't write from your 'head'), get the feeling on the paper and you can edit it later. There are a million other things, but I just don't have room here. My email is somewhere on my homepage- _PLEASE_ email me if you want to discuss it further. Always honoured & happy to help. Thank you so much for the support and consideration!

**PomegranateQueen:**The other shoe, huh? Here it comes… And as for James and Lily getting together this fic, hate to disappoint but I plan on following the book timeline i.e. them not getting together until seventh year. But that doesn't mean there won't be huge chunks of James/Lily goodness in the meantime, I promise.

**Inwe Tasartir:** Thanks for the review! I try to keep my standards up as much as I can (university be damned!)

**Daydreamer04:**I love that song, too. Isn't it beautiful? I'm impatient and I hate the idea of having to wait, but since you've assured me your story will be worth it, I'll be a good girl and look forward to your forthcoming Dawn/Sirius fic. May the muses be with you LOL.

**Saturnpyroprincess:**Ok, I have to say thanks for reviewing just because it brought your awesome name to my attention. Seriously, that's so cool!

**Eyexcandy:**Sorry! I feel bad now I didn't write you a full paragraph. Way to guilt trip me LOL. And thanks for pointing out the mistake, I was sure I got them all this chapter. I kinda get excited when it gets to the end of typing time, in favour of posting time I skip the editing thing. I don't like editing. Hopefully thing chapter will have no more mistakes… coz if you read back carefully, I actually make a lot of mistakes! Meh, what're you gonna do about it? It's still understandable, so I'm happy! Is that up to a paragraph yet? Thanks for the review! Take care. XX

**Ok-Ok-Ok! Here's your update!** Sorry for the length of time- really was unavoidable! Enjoy your class!

**Catgirl Elf Princess:**Cool name. How come everybody has a cool name except me? As far as Dawn smacking out one of the skanky Slyhterins… patience, my dear. Keep reading and you will be rewarded. It may be several chapters from now, but I promise a moment of brilliance has been planned! (like my way of subtly trying to keep you hooked for the rest of the story- I'm such a review whore!)

**Becca:**Have worked out a tentative storyline possible for a Buffy comeback. But it's purely theoretical at this point, so no 100 promises. I've got an inkling though… ;-)

**Passionatedarkness:**Yay! I love reviewers who refuse to leave me alone! Please feel free to do that every spare moment you have, it inspires me no end! (puppy dog gaze… like reviewers)

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

**Sounds Like A Personal Problem**

_What is this crap I'm going through?_

_Where am I at, and who are you?_

_To make me feel like I'm so scared._

_Caught me off-guard, was not prepared_

_For you_

_So smart, so cool_

_To me_

_Life seems it shouldn't be this way._

_So here I am and there you are_

_Sitting so close, feeling so far_

_From me and I can't figure out_

_What I should say, what's this about?_

_To you_

_Too smart, too cool_

_For me_

_Life seems it shouldn't be this way._

"Oh bloody hell," Remus muttered. "Not again."

Three of the Marauders were standing in the doorway of their dorm, shaking their heads. They were staring in awe at a set of closed curtain bed hangings; the Silencing Charm muted the sounds from behind it but they could still hear the slight creaking of the mattress springs beneath.

James snickered. "When was the last time those two put their clothes back _on_?"

"Padfoot strikes again," Remus said with a bit of a laugh. "Give her credit, though. The Kitten lasted much longer than most, ok –any- other girls, but I guess he had to wear her down eventually."

James placed a hand over his heart, as if in pain. "It's true. My baby sister has been corrupted at last." He sighed. "They'll probably be a while yet. Let's go see if we can annoy Evans."

"Prongs," Remus groaned.

"I bet Isabel will be there," James said, winking.

"Ok," Remus hastily amended.

James and Remus turned to leave again, but Peter was still staring at the closed bed hangings. His pink face flinched ever so slightly with each and every creak that reached his ears. Remus clapped his shoulder lightly.

"Come on, mate," he said. "Let's get out of here."

Peter nodded, dropping his gaze to the floor. He let James pull him around to steer him out of the dorm. They went back down to the Common Room, where they found Lily and Isabel hanging out with Candice and Michelle. Lily bit back a groan as James dropped gracefully into the seat beside her.

"Well good afternoon, Evans," James said, his voice annoyingly deeper again. "You're looking lovely as ever today, how about a moonlit stroll on the lake after curfew tonight?"

"I've got a better idea," Lily shot back. "Why don't you go by yourself? That way I can tell Professor McGonagall and she can catch you out after curfew and expel you!"

"Evans, darling," James drawled. "What makes you think I could get expelled over so trifling a matter? After all, I got away with belting the snot out of Lucius Malfoy, didn't I?" he bragged.

Lily huffed, but Candice and Michelle perked up instantly. They hadn't heard the details of that story. "Wait a minute, that was _you_ who rearranged Malfoy's face just before Christmas?" Candice demanded.

"Yeah," James shrugged. "It was me and Sirius."

"Why?" Michelle asked.

It was then that James noticed the warning glares Remus, Isabel, Lily and even Peter were sending him. Nobody else really knew what had gone on between Malfoy and Dawn, because it was something that would completely horrify Dawn if it became public knowledge. Lily even looked ready to hex his mouth shut. Permanently, if she could manage it.

"He just tried to take something of ours," he said evasively. "IT really didn't sit too well with us at the time."

Lily's hand reluctantly released her wand. She turned to Isabel to ask her to go somewhere, anywhere just to get away from James. But Isabel was already busy, whispering and giggling in Remus' ear. The adoration on Remus' face as he slipped an arm about Isabel's waist struck something within Lily, and then she couldn't bear to tear her best friend away. She sighed, picked up a book and set about studiously ignoring James Potter as he stared at her. Peter just shrugged and sent an uncomfortable smile at Michelle and Candice, who returned the gesture half-heartedly.

It was almost an hour before Dawn and Sirius joined them. They were glowing, grinning, completely absorbed in one another as they came down the boys' stairs and joined the rest of their fellow fifth years.

"Oh, look, they've remembered how to put their clothes back on," Remus commented drolly.

"We're not counting on getting used to it," Sirius shot back smoothly, while Dawn blushed and giggled in only half-embarrassed delight. The more intimate her relationship with Sirius became, the less prone she had become to attacks of self-consciousness.

The Gryffindors all went down to the Great Hall together for dinner. Dawn had the horrible feeling she was being watched, just as she used to feel when Malfoy was after her. But nobody else seemed concerned and she couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary, so she said nothing. She didn't notice Malfoy slipping into the Great Hall barely two minutes after they arrives, she was too lost in Sirius again.

Eventually, Lily and Isabel managed to draw Dawn into a conversation when James got Sirius' attention by pegging him in the back of the head with a dinner roll. The girls were chattering about the first book about to be released by Gilderoy Lockhart, an uncannily charismatic ("But a bit stupid, really," according to Lily) wizard who'd been in Hufflepuff a couple of years earlier. Once their feminine counterparts were sufficiently distracted, the Marauders leaned in to hold a whispered conference.

"I really don't think we should do it," Remus said, shaking his head. "It's a ridiculous, dangerous risk I don't want to take."

"Moony," James whined. "It's not dangerous. We've been through the Forbidden Forest loads of times, we know there's nothing bad in there to run into."

"So long as we steer clear of Aragog," Sirius muttered.

Peter shuddered. Hagrid's monstrously large, talking spider friend was terrifying. Once he'd figured out the boys were sneaking into the Forest (in first year) Hagrid had warned them not to stray too close to the spider's lair. Once they'd been foolish enough to do so, and they were all smart enough to know now that if Hagrid hadn't happened by, none of them would've made it through that night alive.

"Yes, I know that," Remus sighed. "But you keep forgetting that I'm one of those things you wouldn't want stray first years' running into."

"Prongs and I can keep you under control, you know that," Sirius said out the side of his mouth. "Besides, you said it yourself- since we've been spending the full moon with you, you're… different. Tamer, or something."

James nodded. "You know we wouldn't let anything happen, Moony. C'mon, it'll be fun. What do you think, Wormtail?" he demanded suddenly, rounding on Peter.

Peter shrugged, his eyes darting between all his friends and eventually settling on James' eager face. "I guess it would be fun," he mumbled.

"Oh, all right then. We'll try it _once_," Remus relented at last, though his face still held a worried frown.

Both Sirius and James' faces lit up in delighted grins as the four Marauders turned their attention to their meals at last. The chatter continued around them, but Dawn and Sirius quickly lost track of it as they played teasing games with their eyes across the table. Dawn's eyes widened just a fraction as she felt a foot slide up against her ankle and she felt the heat spreading up through her skin almost instantaneously.

Food forgotten again, they continued to stare at each other. Dawn felt her pulse quicken with a thrill of desire tinged with just a hint of fear. The intimacy levels between her and Sirius had gone beyond boiling and well into blistering; she hadn't known there could be so much chemistry and emotion in the world, let alone between just two teenagers. But every now and then she felt as if she was getting lost, so swept away in everything that Sirius could make her feel that she forgot there was a whole world around them. She'd forget her own name if Sirius didn't call out for her.

Dinner ended without them realising it, in a daze they headed back to the Common Room with the others. Almost instantly, they were sneaking back up the boys' stairs once again.

"Bloody hell, not again!" James hollered at their retreating shadows, laughing.

Dawn was the first to wake in the very early hours of the next morning, finding herself curled so comfortably around Sirius she had to talk herself into moving. She summoned her clothes with a whispered "_Accio!_" and dressed in silence before slipping out between the bed hangings.

She went to tip-toe out of the dorm, then paused. She turned back, screwed up her face in concentration, and waved her wand. The spell Remus had been trying to teach her in secret for a fortnight finally worked, with a smile Dawn left a single, blood red rose on Sirius' pillow.

* * *

Lily and Dawn rounded a corner and wandered down a new hallway.

"Explain to me again why you're here doing a Prefect's duties, and Remus isn't," Lily said with a bit of a confused frown at Dawn.

Dawn shrugged. "Remus wasn't feeling so well, so we thought it'd be best if he didn't have to patrol the halls tonight."

"Hmm. He does get sick a lot, doesn't he?" Lily mused. "He's been like that since first year, you'd think by now Madam Pomfrey would've prescribed a potion or something for him."

"Maybe she would but there's nothing she can do," Dawn said with a sad little sigh.

Lily glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing. The two girls continued to walk along, chattering away and pausing every now and then to chase other students back to their Common Rooms. As they completed their sweep of the sixth floor, they bumped into a tall, dark girl with a Ravenclaw tie and a Prefect's badge. Lily grinned at her.

"Hi, Hestia. How's it going?"

"Not bad, Lil. Pretty quiet tonight, isn't it?" Hestia returned with a smile and a shrug.

Dawn shifted a little, and Lily suddenly remembered that the two girls didn't know each other. "Oh I'm sorry," she said quickly. "You two haven't met. Dawn, this is Hestia Jones. Hestia, this is Dawn Summers."

"Hey," both girls said, smiling slightly at each other.

Hestia was frowning at Dawn, puzzled. "You know, I don't think I've seen you around before. That's unusual, me being a Prefect and all."

Dawn wasn't really sure how to respond to that, but Lily piped up for her. "Oh you would have, Hestia. I'm sure of it," she said. "Dawn's probably better known as Sirius Black's girlfriend."

"Oh right," Hestia said as it dawned on her. "Sorry, didn't recognise you without being attached to Sirius," she joked.

Dawn chuckled politely, but as Lily and Hestia fell into some Prefect-related conversation, she grew silent. Was that all she was known as- Sirius Black's girlfriend? Was it so impossible to be recognised as just Dawn? Just as herself? As she stood there in the darkened hall, for the first time in her life Dawn started to think about all the roles she'd ever played. She'd played the baby for her mother. She'd played the brat kid sister for Buffy with aplomb. She'd played the outcast at Sunnydale Junior High, then the weird new girl at Hogwarts. And now she was playing the part of Sirius Black's girl. The nameless face unrecognisable unless she was hanging on his arm.

She barely noticed Hestia's departure, and Lily didn't seem to pick up on Dawn's mental absence from the conversation as they began to head back to Gryffindor tower.

"Hestia's a really great girl, don't you think?" Lily asked, but babbled on instead of waiting for a reply that was never coming anyway. "I was so glad to hear that she got Prefect in Ravenclaw this year. You know I was almost sorted into Ravenclaw? And Hestia has an older brother, Chase, he was made Prefect last year. You'd probably recognise him if you saw him around, Chase is Seeker for Ravenclaw."

"Hmm," Dawn murmured, a million miles away. If she'd been paying attention, she would have noticed the brightness in the green eyes, the telltale blush that suggested somebody should warn James that he had competition.

Lily smiled. "Yeah. Really tall, and dark, with hair you just want to run your fingers through. And he has a great- Dawn, are you even listening to a word I'm saying?"

"Yeah," Dawn said, her voice in a monotone and her eyes focused on something only she could see. "You were about to say that Chase Jones has a great ass. Lion's Den."

They climbed through the portrait, back in the comfort of their Common Room at last. Lily grinned at Dawn as they headed up the girls' stairs.

"Thanks for patrolling with me, Dawn. It makes the time go so much quicker when you've got someone to chat to," she said.

Dawn shrugged. "Well it was either me or James, so Remus decided it would be better if I came along."

A little shudder rippled through Lily. "In which case I really can't thank you enough for coming with me. You can even have the first shower."

Dawn gathered her things and headed directly for the bathroom. She stood under the shower and let the borderline scalding water pound into her, rushing over her while she drowned in her own thoughts. She stayed in the shower until the heat of the water had exhausted her, then crawled out of the stall to lean against the cool tile outside of the inbuilt bathtub.

She stayed there until the chill of the tiles had seeped through her like osmosis and the steam had dissipated into little wisps of cloud. Dawn was a little shaky as she got to her feet, she gripped the basin for support and suddenly found herself face to face with a mirror. For the longest time she locked gazes with herself, staring into the blue depths Sirius always called his favourite oceans and trying to find a spark. Just a little clue, something to tell her that Dawn Summers did, in fact, exist as a single entity. A loud hammering on the door startled Dawn, she jerked back from the mirror and blinked a couple of times.

"Come on Dawn!" Lily called through the door. "I think you're taking unfair advantage of my kindness- you've been in there almost an hour.

Dawn hastily threw on her sweats and patted her hair dry. She flew out the door, tossing a sheepish grin at Lily as she immediately stormed the bathroom.

By the time Lily had left the shower and crawled under the covers, all the girls had gone to bed. But Dawn found no rest. She lay awake feeling strange and sick and apprehensive, listening to the calm breathing of the other girls and wondering what the hell was wrong with her.

When midnight rolled around, she forced herself to climb out of bed. She tip-toed down to the Common Room, not surprised to find the boys already waiting for her. She grinned slightly when she saw them, pleased to note that none of them seemed to notice anything off about her. Then Sirius held her hand and Dawn felt a momentary stab of guilt and foolishness for the whole new track she'd let her strange mind wander down.

The Marauders all bunched up to fit under the Invisibility Cloak for their monthly trip to the Kitchens. Dawn winced. On average, one of her feet was trodden on every third step and she still hadn't managed to find herself those steel-capped boots. By the time Peter was tickling the pair she was hobbling. When she pouted at him, Sirius hastily smothered his laughter at the way she was walking and sent her his most sympathetic look.

The House-Elves, as usual, fussed all over them, tripping over each other in their excitement at the monthly visit Dawn thought they should be used to by now. When Locky started squealing and blubbering over the way Sirius was holding loosely onto her elbow, Dawn just smiled and felt like a liar the whole time. She breathed a sigh of relief when they were seated at last and she could get lost amongst the clatter of dishes and the general chatter.

"Cheesecake, Kitten?" Remus asked, sliding a slice onto her plate.

Dawn immediately confiscated the knife he was using to serve everyone. "What do you think you're doing? You're looking paler by the second, Rem, you're only a couple of shades away from 'vampire' as it is. You just relax, let me fix all this up."

Remus' tired smile was full of gratitude. The other boys watched with amusement as Dawn automatically loaded all their plates with what she knew were their favourite dishes.

James winked at the other boys. "See, I told you from the start there was a good reason to keep her around."

Sirius snorted. "Yeah, Prongs. That's what I love most about her- her ability to feed us," he said with airy sarcasm.

James and Remus both raised their eyebrows at the unconscious ease with which the 'L' word had fallen from Sirius' lips, but Dawn didn't seem to even notice it. She stabbed at her cheesecake with a splade and roughly bit into it without tasting it. 'Great,' she thought with irrational bitterness. 'Now I've got two functions. I get to feed him as well as gratify him.'

Remus glanced discreetly at her. "All right, Dawn?" he said, so only she could hear.

Dawn nodded, forced a smile for him. "Yeah. I'm just tired, you know."

"That's because you've forgotten that a bid is _also_ for sleeping in," he said wisely.

* * *

Isabel let out a shriek of frustration and hurled her school bag at her cupboard. "He's gone _again_!"

"What's up?" Dawn asked vaguely. She was sitting on the rug in the girls' dorm, watching Newman as he struggled through laps around one of her shoes. The night of the full moon was her most boring night of the month.

"Remus," Isabel explained with a grunt as she flopped down next to Dawn.

Dawn tensed, keeping her focus on Newman and trying to remain as calm as possible. "He hasn't done anything, has he? Is everything ok?"

The blond just rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She seemed to be trying to read the grooves in the stones for the answers to all life's most difficult questions. After a moment, Dawn decided it couldn't hurt to try and laid back, too. Newman plodded over at a snail's pace and started to systematically tangle himself in her hair.

"I just don't get him," Isabel sighed after a few minutes of contemplative silence had ticked by. "He'll be so perfect for a few weeks, and then all of a sudden he's just… not there anymore. And he won't talk to me about it, just mumbles some crap about it being complicated and tells me not to worry about it."

Dawn kept staring at the ceiling, not wanting to lie but refusing to betray Remus' confidence. She'd never been able to forget the fear in his eyes the first time they'd discussed his true identity.

"Well, maybe it really isn't anything to worry about then," she said evenly.

A disbelieving snort escaped Isabel's nose, making her delicate nostrils flare like a horse's. "You know, Dawn, for someone who's turned into Sirius' permanent little vixen, you're still kind of naïve. Guys only use the word 'complicated' when they're hiding something."

Whether or not Isabel had intended the remark about her relationship with Sirius as a slight, Dawn bristled and had to fight to keep from shooting her a dirty look. Instead she made herself get back to the very important task at hand: stop Isabel suspecting anything off about Remus.

"You know Remus has always been a mystery. Maybe he just doesn't like the idea of someone figuring him out," Dawn said sagely. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping it was enough.

To her horror, Isabel was shaking her head. "No, that can't be. He gets this look on his face, Dawn, I don't even know how to explain it properly. He looks like a wild animal or something. Like he's trapped and his eyes are just begging for me to understand when he can't even tell me what it is I'm supposed to be understanding. It's almost a little scary," she confided, rolling onto her side.

Dawn shifted uncomfortably and started to unwind long strands of hair from around Newman's dumpy legs before he managed to get them completely knotted. "I don't know, Isabel," she said at last. "Love Doctor Dawn is not the wisest choice for consultation. And I admit I don't know everything about Remus, or about whatever goes on between you two, but I know him well enough. And any idiot can see he completely adores you."

A little grin caught on Isabel's face and she looked over at Dawn. "You really think so?"

Dawn just gave her a look.

Isabel let out a loud sigh. "But I still know he's keeping secrets from me and I can't figure out why."

Dawn's stomach began to tie itself in knots of uncertainty. She wasn't sure what to say and what not to say. Finally, she just shrugged. "Ok, say Remus does have secrets. If that's the case, it must be something really important to him, something he'd be too scared to tell you in case you wouldn't like him anymore or something."

"Like what?" Isabel laughed. "He's got some really horrible disease he can't control, something that makes him turn into a monster against his will?"

Dawn almost vomited in horror, but managed to pass it off as a laugh. She gripped Newman's handle convulsively.

"That's it, isn't it?" Isabel said sarcastically. "He's a bloody werewolf or something."

"That's crazy," Dawn said in a high-pitched voice. "You're talking crazy-talk, Is. Stop it!"

"I know, insane girlfriend syndrome," Isabel said glumly.

Dawn nodded, latching overenthusiastically onto the insanity plea. "What is it that people around here have against werewolves and all that, anyway?" she asked.

Isabel responded freely, not noticing the defensive edge that had crept into her friend's voice. "Well they're wild, you know. Dangerous," Isabel said with a shrug. "You can't trust a werewolf, we learned all about them in third year. If you come across a werewolf on the full moon, even if it's your best friend, you're as good as dead."

Dawn had paled significantly, only sheer willpower kept her from bursting into tears. As it was, she couldn't quite get a handle on her anger. "And what about the rest of the month, huh? Is a werewolf still dangerous when he's just walking past you on the street as a person?"

Isabel frowned and cocked her head at Dawn as best she could while laying down. "What? Dawn, what are you on about?"

"We have very different views where I come from," Dawn said, her eyes more than just a little accusing. "Nobody chooses to be a werewolf- they get bit or scratched and it's not their fault. Just because they go through this awful, painful thing every month, they don't deserve to be treated as any less human than the rest of us!"

Isabel was still frowning, not able to understand Dawn's sudden burst of passion in the least. "Look at it logically, Dawn- you let werewolves and other monsters loose in society and how many people end up at risk because of it?" she said, feeling distanced and unaffected by the whole issue. It was a ridiculous topic anyway, she'd only even mentioned werewolves as a stupid joke. It wasn't as if they even knew any.

"Whatever," Dawn mumbled, tracing a finger down Newman's handle and avoiding looking at Isabel. She didn't know how she'd be able to look at the other girl the same way anymore.

"I just wish I could get Remus to talk to me," Isabel sighed.

The two girls rolled onto their backs again to stare up at the ceiling. Neither felt any more comforted after their little talk. Minutes ticked by in silence but still Isabel and Dawn did not move a muscle.

The door opened, Lily came into the dorm somewhere underneath her usual stack of books. She deposited them all neatly on her bedside table and came into the middle of the dorm to regard Dawn and Isabel curiously. None of the three girls spoke, or even acknowledged each others' existence. Eventually Lily shrugged and laid down in between the other two girls. She gazed up at the ceiling without even bothering to ask what was so fascinating about it.

* * *

The Whomping Willow swayed gently in the breeze, just one aspect of the myriad of movement in the peaceful night. Then the Willow froze all of a sudden and four figures emerged from a gap in its trunk, stark shadows against the melting snow. First came a fat little rat and then a large, handsome stag. Next came the hybrid form of a werewolf, with a dog not quite as large right on his tail. The werewolf paused and stiffened, as if he had never known the crispness of open air before. Moony was bombarded on all senses, he tossed his head every which way and sniffed wildly, unsure as to which promising scent he should follow first.

He let out a growl of anticipation, but before he could head towards the castle, or the village full of tasty humans, Padfoot and Prongs rounded him up and forced him towards the Forbidden Forest. Wormtail hesitated, but then his fear of being left behind overcame his aversion to the Forest. He scurried after the other animals, squeaking to remind them of his presence.

Moony sniffed him curiously, Wormtail began to shake with fright but the werewolf simply nudged him with his nose, gave a wolfish sneeze, and turned to inspect a nest of beetles. Padfoot and Prongs stared at each other, each trying to figure out a way to keep from losing their smallest companion, the frustration mounting in the hazel and the sky blue eyes as each moment passed without any effective means for communication.

Then Padfoot had a sudden brainwave. He gave a decisive bark and leaned over to nudge Wormtail with his snout. Wormtail looked up only to see an enormous set of jaws with inch-long teeth bearing down on him. He'd never wished he hadn't kissed Sirius' girlfriend more than at that moment. With blunt, gentle pressure Padfoot scooped the rat up in his mouth and deposited him in the grooves of Prongs' antlers.

Wormtail, damp with dog slobber and quivering with fright, glared at Padfoot with his beady eyes. Prongs snorted, not entirely pleased with the seating arrangements himself. The amount of rat droppings scattered about the Shrieking Shack was phenomenal.

The four animals set off through the trees together. They followed their noses, seeking out all the strange and wonderful inhabitants of the Forest now that they weren't bound by the dangers that usually faced them as humans. Prongs and Padfoot took care at first to keep Moony in between them at all times, but it soon became apparent that the further he was from humans, the tamer he became.

Late in the night they paused for a break, having found a clearing deeper in the Forest than they'd ever reached on two legs. Prongs lowered his head to the ground so Wormtail could climb free. The second his paws hit the dirt, Wormtail scurried over to the nearest patch of grass to rest on something soft. Stag antlers weren't exactly equipped with cushions.

Prongs and Moony both found suitable patches of ground to rest on, but Padfoot, full of energy still, began to trot around the clearing. He sniffed every tree at least once, marked his territory on two and then began turning rocks over with his snout. He only stopped when a rock he disturbed was covering a beetle with large nippers that latched onto his nose with as much power as lobster claws.

Padfoot whined loudly and bolted frantically around until it occurred to him to use a tree as leverage to prise the beetle off. He whined again, but it hastily became a growl when he noticed the stag hoof thumping against the ground in mirth.

Still not deterred from exercise, but unwilling to investigate any further that evening, the great black dog settled for chasing his tail. This seemed to catch Moony's interest, the werewolf stood and came over closer to observe the circles Padfoot was running in. Prongs shared an amused look with Wormtail as Moony started to slowly turn his own circles.

Padfoot paused for a moment and gave a bark of encouragement as the werewolf picked up speed. Soon the dog and the werewolf were no more than two blurs of dark fur, almost racing each other to see who could catch his tail first. Padfoot won, but only because he had the distinct advantage of a tail long enough to actually grab. Moony's tail was far too stubby for him to even get close to, but he seemed to enjoy the game anyway.

Prongs just snorted at the antics of the ridiculous creatures and lowered his head to the ground so Wormtail could scamper up and resume his perch. He then stamped his feet, calling his wayward animal friends to order so they could head back towards the Whomping Willow. Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs escorted Moony back to the safety of the Shrieking Shack before trudging up towards the castle, back in human form and hiding under the Invisibility Cloak.

"Well that certainly was an interesting night," James yawned as the moon began to set at last.

"Yeah," Peter agreed as they stepped back inside.

All three gave a little wince as the doors squeaked loudly, they went still and quiet as a moment as a precaution, but nobody burst out of any shadowy corners to catch them unawares. James looked to his friends and motioned with his head that they should continue up to Gryffindor tower.

"I'm glad there were no disasters," Sirius said quietly. "Can you imagine explaining ourselves to Dawn if there had been? I'd rather face McGonagall. At least she can't really get mad at us now, since it went so well."

"We're planning on telling Dawn?" James asked, eyebrows raised. "Ok, one- since when? And two- are you sure that's a good idea? She's scarier than your Mum and McGonagall put together when she's cranky."

"But she looks so cute when she's cross," Sirius laughed.

"I may have to vomit now," James announced. He popped his head out of the Cloak. "Lion's Den."

"If you say so," the fat lady murmured, snoozing again even as she admitted them all to the Common Room.

They snatched an hour of sleep before they had to be up, but it stretched into a couple of hours without them even realising it. They slept through breakfast and would've slept all the way through classes if Dawn hadn't come banging into the dorm to shake them all awake. When Peter still wouldn't wake, Dawn had James help her tip him forcibly off his bed. She'd also thought to provide them with a stack of toast while they dressed, and miraculously James, Sirius and Peter were barely five minutes after Dawn arriving in the classroom and narrowly avoiding detention.

Dawn was strong enough in her Potions work by now not to miss her partner too greatly during Remus' monthly absence. It was slightly slower going on her own, but the Disillusionment Draught was posing her no problem at all. She spared a glance over her shoulder at the boys. They weren't doing nearly so well at all.

Peter was napping with his arms folded over the rim of his cauldron his head laid on them while James and Sirius were haphazardly throwing full packets and bottles of ingredients into their cauldron. They weren't even checking the labels. Neither even noticed when the whole concoction went from green to red and began to sizzle like a Chinese hot dish. Sirius tossed a handful of goat stones in the general direction of their cauldron.

Multicoloured dragonflies spewed from the boys' red potion. They fluttered around the dungeon emitting noxious gases and dive-bombing the other students. James waved his hand half-heartedly, but made no real attempt to ward off the putrid potion insects that settled across his shoulders, clinging about him like flies.

Dawn capped a vial of her own concoction, a perfectly translucent light purple, and walked it to the front of the room. On her way back to clear up her work station, she stopped by James and Sirius' mess, giving Peter a brisk tap on the shoulder to wake him as she passed. Sirius and James just stared up at her smirking face like two zombies. She shook her head.

"_Finite Incentatem_!"

With a wave of her wand, the foul dragonflies all dissipated. "You guys look even more tired than usual," Dawn commented. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear you'd just called it a boys' night out and gone menacing the town."

Not at all up to their usual devious standards, they both blushed and tried to avoid her gaze. Dawn looked at them a moment before her eyes flared with comprehension. "What did you do?"

James yawned guiltily. "Not here, Kitten," he mumbled. "We'll talk when we can be alone, ok?"

Dawn frowned at them in a way that told them they weren't going to weasel out of any confession in the long run so they shouldn't even try. Before she left to let them deal with the rest of the mess they'd created, she stared at Sirius a moment longer. The frown on her face changed from disapproving to unhappy. She still couldn't figure out when and how their relationship had changed, and she hadn't slept properly in days trying to think of a way to get back to normal. But she'd only managed to confuse herself further.

Try as she might, she just couldn't figure out how to make a relationship work when she couldn't even figure out how she herself worked.

* * *

Peter, James and Sirius were so catatonic that Dawn sent them straight to the Hospital Wing and went down to the Kitchens for food alone. By the times the House-Elves had finished fussing over her and asking why Sir Padfoot wasn't with her, quite a while had passed.

She lugged a heavy basket of food into the Hospital Wing, hoping one of the boys who hadn't spent last night as a werewolf would jump up and help her. But said boys were all snoring away, leaving Remus staring at them in boredom. When he noticed Dawn struggling, he moved to help her despite his lingering weakness.

"Don't even think about it," Dawn ordered.

Remus smoothed his covers back down.

With a grunt, Dawn hefted the basket onto his bedside table and plopped onto the mattress beside him to start unloading it. She pulled out a thermos of chicken soup that Locky had warmed up along with the sausages and sticky buns packed. The smell of food made the others begin to stir, and Remus helped them along with a pillow to all their heads. Dawn spread out a platter of sausages and buns and passed out cups of soup. The three boys who'd been sleepwalking through the day were miraculously conscious enough to eat.

"Thanks Kitten," Remus said as she passed him a sausage.

Dawn returned to sipping her soup and nibbling her bun while the food was wolfed down around her. "No problem. So how was last night?"

Remus' pale brown eyebrows rose into arches. "They told you?" he asked, presuming she was referring to their excursion through the Forbidden Forest.

"Told me what?" Dawn asked, a growl creeping into her voice.

Sirius, James and Peter all were frozen by the tone of her voice. James and Sirius slowly lowered the food from their mouths and Peter gulped on impulse, swallowing a hunk of sausage in the process.

"Well this is the thing we wanted to wait and discuss in private," James said tentatively.

Dawn's eyes snapped around the Hospital Wing, but Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen. "We're in private. Now drop the cryptic," she said snappily.

We sort of, um, took a little tour of the Forbidden Forest last night," Sirius said, willing Dawn not to explode.

"You don't mean…" Dawn stared around at them all, the meaning of Sirius' words falling into place in her head. "The _four_ of you?'

Remus had the good sense to look thoroughly ashamed of himself. Peter had the even better sense to scoot backwards, ready to dive for cover under the bed. James and Sirius shared a look.

"You still think it was a good idea to tell her?" James muttered out the side of his mouth. Sirius never got the chance to reply.

"Have you gone completely insane!?" Dawn screeched, jumping to her feet and suddenly making Voldemort seem like a minor inconvenience in comparison. They boys all stared up at her guiltily, completely at her mercy. Just as it looked like she was about the completely rip them to shreds, salvation arrived in the form of a sternly glaring matron.

"Miss Summers!" she said, huffing in offence. "What's all this racket? Out you go, you're disturbing my patient. Go on with the lot of you. Shoo, shoo!"

Madam Pomfrey waved her hands a couple of times as if to physically brush them from her Hospital Wing. Dawn paid her no mind. Glaring at the four boys in disgust, she turned and stormed from the room without another word. James, Sirius and Peter all shot Remus pouting looks.

"Bye Moony," they said, trudging out of the Wing with the somewhat lighter basket to take back to the House-Elves.

Dawn hurled her bag down on the desk beside Lily and dropped into the chair. Lily and Isabel watched curiously as she reached into her bag and began viciously extracting her supplies for Charms.

"What did they do now?" Lily finally asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Dawn said shortly, slapping her Charms notes on the desk. She let her bag fall to the floor.

"Ok," Lily said.

"They just drive me crazy sometimes," Dawn ranted anyway. "I mean, how can they be so damned irresponsible? Honestly, I don't know why I even bother sometimes."

"Neither do I," Lily muttered.

Isabel elbowed her for the remark. She sent Dawn her most calming look. "Dawn, sweetie, breathe. You're starting to turn colours."

Dawn drew in a series of snarling breaths until she thought she had a hold of herself. "ok. Good. You're right. Breathing is good. I should just calm down a bit. What's done is done and there's nothing I can do about it now. And I've got to relax- if I'm not concentrating I'll never get through Charms this afternoon."

"Very good," Isabel praised her now much calmer friend. "There's only one problem with your logic: we're not in Charms. We're in Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Gah!"

Dawn threw her hands in the air in defeat. Lily and Isabel shared a smile as Dawn piled everything she'd just pulled from her bag back in, and took the correct supplies for the class she was actually in out. By the time she was finally organised, a few more people had begun to filter in for class.

Having taken the leftovers back to the Kitchens, Peter, Sirius and James sauntered casually in and scanned the room for Dawn. She studiously ignored them as they left their bags on the three desks behind the girls and came around to stand before her.

"Hi," James grinned at all three. Lily did not bother responding (she wouldn't want to encourage him) but Isabel gave an uncertain, half-hearted smile in response.

Dawn just arched an eyebrow. "Yes?"

James did not let his grin falter, even though it severely wanted to. 'They can smell fear,' he reminded himself. He reached out to tickle Dawn's chin. "Don't be like that," he cajoled playfully.

Dawn slapped his hand away. His stinging fingers were enough to wipe the smile from James' face, but not quite enough to make him give up completely just yet.

"Kitten…" he began to plead.

"Don't you 'Kitten' me," Dawn said dangerously. "I am _so_ mad at you guys right now. I just don't know what the hell you think you're playing at, did you even consider the consequences? All the things that could've gone wrong. I just… I don't even want to talk to you right now." Dawn shook her head and looked away.

James looked at Peter and Sirius and shrugged. Sirius opened his mouth to try. Dawn wasn't even looking at him when she held up a hand to halt whatever he was going to say.

"Don't bother."

She looked over at them expectantly. James and Sirius sighed and gave up for the time being. They went back to their own seats, leaving Peter standing alone before Dawn in her wrath. She was glaring still with her razor-sharp crystal eyes, Peter squeaked and scrambled after the other boys.

Dawn ignored them throughout the entire afternoon and evening. She sat with Lily and Isabel for the rest of the day's classes and joined Candice and Michelle with them for dinner in the Great Hall. Afterwards, while the girls were all hanging out in the Common Room, the Marauders went back to the Hospital Wing to collect their fourth.

When the four boys returned, they immediately went over to Dawn. She stood, sighing with loud annoyance, and tried to flee up the girls' stairs. But the boys had anticipated the move and were too quick for her. Moving at the speed of light, James and Sirius moved in front of her, hooking her arms over theirs and lifting her off her feet.

"Hey! Put me down!"

"Not til you talk to us," Sirius said evenly.

The rest of the Common Room watched with interest as James and Sirius dragged the struggling Dawn across the room and out of sight up the boys' stairs. Remus and Peter followed behind, after Remus spent a few minutes greeting Isabel after his latest 'emergency trip home'. He kissed her briefly, smiling sadly as he followed Peter upstairs. He was running out of great aunts' and grandparents' funerals to attend.

In the middle of the boys' dorm, Dawn was finally set back on her own two feet. She folded her arms over her chest and glared at the boys. They stared back. Unable to resist, Dawn's foot shot out, catching the shin closest to her.

"Ouch!" Sirius bent down, rubbing at his shin.

Dawn just arched an eyebrow.

"We know you're mad at us, Kitten," James said, automatically stepping back out of the range of those long legs. "But it's no good spending the rest of the year running away from us. Whatever you want to say about what we did, you might as well just go ahead and get it off your chest."

Dawn took a deep breath, steeled herself, and did exactly that. McGonagall herself could not have come up with a more impressive lecture. The boys were in complete awe of the display as she railed for half an hour about responsibility. She reminded them what could have happened if Remus had given the others the slip. She asked if any of them had ever had to see the body of someone killed by supernatural means. She demanded to know if any of them could spend the rest of their lives with the burden of guilt on their heads if Remus had happened to attack someone.

The boys just waited until she'd finished, looking at the ground. "I know why you're angry Dawn, but we were careful," Remus promised.

"Careful?" Dawn scoffed. "How could you be careful running around out in the open like that?"

"Padfoot and I are big enough to keep Moony in line," James said quietly.  
We had him between the two of us the whole time, there was no chance for him to get away." He put his hand on his left butt cheek. "Marauder's honour, Kitten."

Dawn exhaled loudly. "There are a million ways in which he could've given you the slip and you know it."

Remus hung his head in shame. "I know, ok. I know. But Dawn, I've never felt like that as a werewolf before. It was like I wasn't a monster or something. I knew they wouldn't let me do anything bad, but for once in my life I was free."

It was the wistful tone Remus had taken on that wore Dawn down at last. If there was something Dawn had learned she could never do, it was deny Remus anything to help make living with who he was a little more bearable. Especially after inadvertently learning what Isabel would most likely think of him if she knew about his other side.

She nodded slowly. "I really don't like this. And I'm saying my 'I told you so's' now. But you guys think you know what you're doing, so I'm just going to shut up about it."

Peter looked up hopefully. "Does this mean you're not going to yell anymore?"

"Yeah," Dawn said, glancing around at each of them in turn. "No more yelling."

Sirius grinned. "Dare I suggest a group hug?"

"I think you dare." Dawn smiled.

She was used to the way they all sort of just crashed into each other by now, and Sirius was the only one who'd never taken care to ensure that his hands fell in appropriate places. When the others disentangled themselves, Sirius remained with Dawn trapped nicely in his arms.

"Stay tonight," he murmured.

Dawn thought about it. With the full moon and all, she hadn't spent the night with Sirius since she'd started having all these frightening doubts about everything. Maybe a reminder of how perfectly she and Sirius fit together was just what she needed to clear her mind. She glanced up at Sirius' face with a little smile.

"Sure," she said.

The other boys, mindful of the fact that Remus was still not feeling a hundred percent, made it a relatively quiet night in the dorm. Remus and Dawn read and did a bit of homework while Sirius, James and Peter lazily lobbed a Quaffle around the dorm.

"Where did you get that, anyway?" Dawn asked while Peter was chasing the Quaffle he'd missed into the bathroom.

James shrugged. "Nicked it from the Quidditch store after practice, of course."

One by one, Remus, Peter and James turned in for the night. James tossed a sly wink at Sirius before sliding the curtains around his bed and leaving Dawn alone with Sirius. Sirius drew the hangings around his own bed and automatically cast a Silencing Charm before sending Dawn a wolfish grin.

When she didn't seem to notice the mood shifting around her, Sirius crawled up beside Dawn and took her book out of her hands. She looked up, he put the book aside and began to kiss her slowly. Dawn was kissing him back, but Sirius thought deep down he sensed something forced or unnatural in her responses. He pulled back to hold her gaze.

"You're not still mad, are you baby?" he asked.

Though she was grateful for the ready-made excuse for any weirdness Sirius might've sensed about her, Dawn shook her head. "No. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still think you're all idiots. But no, I'm not mad anymore. What would be the point?" she asked wryly.

"There's my smart girl," Sirius smiled. "Can we find more interesting things to do than talk now?"

Widening her eyes, Dawn stared up at Sirius with mock innocent confusion. "Like what?"

He chuckled. "Here, let me show you."

He kissed her again, and noticed no more strangeness about Dawn as they began to undress each other. Trading clothes for bed covers, Dawn felt her body respond readily to Sirius' while her heart clenched painfully inside her chest. Her heart, mind and body were all in motion at once, almost racing each other to a conclusion. Her body was making love while her heart felt betrayed by it and her mind searched futilely for sense and reason in her whole world.

Afterwards, Sirius fell asleep quickly, his body still needing to recuperate from the lack of rest the night before. Dawn lay awake, suffocating under the arm she usually loved to feel draped over her. She watched Sirius sleeping, felt the rhythm of his breathing that usually lulled her into dreams of warmth and love, and knew that something had changed. It was her. Without fully understanding why, Dawn began to cry in silence. Sirius was too exhausted and content to wake as Dawn slid away from him. Still crying, she dressed quietly and left without looing back.

Sirius was only semi-conscious when he reached out to pull Dawn close. He wasn't worried when his hand found only empty bed; if she woke up first she'd often sneak back to her own dorm in the early hours of the morning. Much as she enjoyed spending her nights naked and in his bed, he knew Dawn wasn't so keen on the idea of getting caught spending her nights naked and in his bed.

Sirius groaned sleepily and shifted over. If he couldn't wake up with her there was always the next best thing, intoxicating himself with the warmth of where she'd lain perhaps only minutes before. After shifting around a moment, Sirius realised something that had never happened before and opened his eyes.

Dawn's side of the bed had gone cold.

* * *

**A.N.** Everyone hates me now, don't they? Anoron 


	24. Leave

**Disclaimer:**The Harry Potter stuff used is JK Rowling's. The Buffy stuff used is Joss Whedon's. Leave is Matchbox Twenty's (yes, another bloody Matchbox Twenty song, I love them!)

**A.N:**Slightly shorter chap, but hey wasn't it up quick? Happy holidays, everyone. Love my reviewers. Please don't kill me.

**Reviewers:**

**Little Red Rabbit:**Everyone loves a dash of the sweet teen angst, I think. How else would you get 'Buffy' fans, LOL. Yeah, Dawn and Sirius are using contraceptives- I've made reference to it before I think, the '_Infertilus Protectus_' Charm.

**Botticelli'sVenus:**Glad you're seeing things from my point of view! Thanks.

**Mademoiselle Morte:**Yay. Sweet, sweet support. How I love thee. Thanks.

**Chicklepea:**I was naughty- I went to the bathroom. But it balanced out, I didn't take the tea break! But you gotta admit, this is one of the quickest updates I've given in a while.

**Kat:**You get a super shiny gold star for a correct answer. Go you!

**Eyexcandy:**Hehe- we don't have expressways in Australia, so I can't go throw myself in front of traffic on one! Hehe. But you're really gonna hate me now (I'm expecting the flame, so don't hold back). Have faith.

**Saxifrage:**I think there's absolutely nothing wrong with you for enjoying the bumps in the relationship- it's what makes an interesting story. Interesting parallels to the Buffy/Spike & Buffy/Riley relationships, and I hope I can do justice to the way you think it oughta go between them (coz I 100 agree with you). Love the theory on the 'Dawn never gets to die, she just gets shuffled around between dimensions', but you gotta wonder if the poor girl would get tired doing that. And if she just kept ageing in her regular way… ick! And feel free to spazz away in your reviews, I love hearning anything serious or far out, so long as it's what my reviewers are _really_ thinking just after they've read one of my chapters. Also, I sent you a _huge_ email making myself look like a pompous ass with writing advice, but I got one of those 'delivery failure notification' thingies the next day, so I don't think you got it. I'll try again, okies? Big hugs & kisses, may the muses be with you. XX00

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

**Leave**

Dawn and Isabel shared a look. "This is interesting," Dawn commented.

"She's really coming along with this 'acting like a teenage girl' thing," Isabel agreed.

Lily was squealing and bouncing around the girls' dorm like a jackhammer on speed. The rest of the girls were getting dizzy just watching her.

Candice was shaking her head as she and Michelle plopped next to Dawn and Isabel, already sitting on Isabel's bed. "She's not normally this hyped up after a Prefects' Meeting, is she?"

"Maybe McGonagall told her she could take some of her OWLs early or something," Michelle suggested.

Lily bounced around the dorm like a caged firecracker for a good five minutes longer before Isabel started to get motion sickness trying to keep track of her. The blond reigned Lily in with some difficulty.

"Get a grip, Evans! Do I have to slap you?" Isabel hollered at last, and Lily seemed to calm down just enough to form coherent speech.

Lily leapt onto Isabel's bed, bouncing the other girls up and down a couple of times with the force. A huge smile was lighting up her whole face. "You'll never guess what happened to me after the Prefects' Meeting today!"

"No," Candice laughed. "Because you won't calm down long enough to bloody tell us."

"I can't help it, I'm just so excited. Chase Jones asked me out!" she practically screamed.

"Chase Jones?" Michelle squealed.

"Oh Lils," Isabel breathed. She hugged her best friend tight, knowing the redhead's crush on the Ravenclaw sixth year had existed for longer than people would guess. "I'm so happy for you."

"That's really great, Lily," Dawn parroted. She'd fixed a wide smile to her face, but it was purely superficial. Inside she was feeling completely wretched, and one thought was echoing through her head like a broken record. 'Poor James.'

Just as the girls hadn't really known how long Lily had been secretly crushing on Chase Jones, Dawn suspected they didn't have a clue just how deeply James Potter felt for Lily Evans. It was a long standing Gryffindor joke that James would never get Lily to go out with him, but in all the laughs not many people saw the way James died for just a moment every time Lily rejected him.

"Well?" Isabel prompted. Lily had flopped back against the pillows on Isabel's bed, and was staring dreamily at the ceiling. "We need details here, Lil."

Lost in deliberations over what baby names would go nicely with 'Jones' already, Lily's head turned towards the other girls in a daze. "What?"

Candice rapped lightly on her forehead. "Hello? Is anyone in there? Details, please."

Lily frowned slightly and sat up. "What details?"

"How did he ask you? When is the date? Where are you going? Have you thought about what you're wearing? And how you're going to do your hair? Do you want to borrow my new pair of heels?" Michelle rattled offhandedly.

Lily grinned, flushing prettily. "He just made up some silly excuse to keep me back a bit after the meeting, then offered to walk me back up to the tower."

'How unoriginal,' Dawn thought, still smiling emptily.

"Yeah?" Isabel prodded, nodding eagerly.

"We're going to have coffee, next Hogsmeade weekend." Lily emitted another little squeal of anticipation.

"Hogsmeade?" Dawn asked, trying to keep her nose from wrinkling. She could think of several much better places to go on a date. Sirius had taken her to all of them at one time or another. "But that's, like, two weeks away."

"I know. I don't know how I'm supposed to survive until then," Lily groaned. But half a second later, she was bouncing away again. "But he said he wants to spend time with me before then, too, so we can get to know each other a bit better."

Four jealous sighs responded. Two from single girls and two from girls in relationships that had lost that brand-new sparkle. It was what like driving a new car for the first time must feel like, Dawn mused.

The new car smell is intoxicating from the second you slide behind the wheel, and the first few trips are so full of adrenaline it should be outlawed. There's that horrible fear of getting the car scratched or dented, of making it not perfect anymore just by driving it. And then there was the feeling of power and seduction of owning something that had never been touched by another person. And once the new car smell fades, it's only a matter of time before complications set in. The bumps in the road begin to take their toll and the tings once in perfect condition become costly and painful to keep running smoothly.

A derisive mental snort interrupted Dawn's inner monologue. No wonder so many people just traded their cars in for newer models.

Isabel took one last look at Lily's unshakeable grin and jumped up, inspired. "I'm going to find Remus."

Dawn giggled along with the others as Isabel marched out of the dorm and down the stairs with a hint of lust brightening her eyes. She was a woman on a mission, scanning the Common Room for the dirty blond head she most liked to see.

She found it buried in a book. Remus was reading a textbook, doing a bit of catching up after his latest absence. A shapely shadow fell across his page, a moment later the book was pulled from his hands and put aside.

"Hey you," he said, grinning up at his girlfriend.

"Hello," Isabel said softly. She leaned over the seat and kissed Remus slowly, and he got the hint at once.

A few minutes later, Isabel was being backed into a deserted classroom. Remus was kissing her soundly the whole time he was settling himself against a desk and pulling her up close against him. Isabel's hands started roaming, Remus groaned as one slid to his side and the other pushed inside the open collar at his throat.

Remus let his own hands start to wander wherever the moment took them. He'd never imagined he'd find himself in a position such as this. He'd never dared believe someone could want to touch, or be touched by a monster like him. Somewhere deep inside, Remus was petrified that there was something vile and disgusting in his very skin, and one day Isabel would suddenly become aware of it. It was the one thought he was always sure to bury before it ever fully reached the surface.

He was sharply reminded that this was no time for thinking a moment later when Isabel began to tug on his shirt, trying to organize them into a more comfortable position. She pushed him down into the closest chair and settled herself in his lap. Remus closed his eyes and immersed himself with the bliss of another human being's touch.

Some time later, they were left together in a pile of limbs and unfastened buttons. Isabel looked up from her fascinated game of playing with the light smattering of hair sprouting from Remus' chest. She met his worshipping amber gaze with her own serious brown stare.

"Why do you always go away?" she asked.

Remus just looked sadly back down at her. "You know why. I get called home a lot… My family gets sick so easy… I don't like going away all the time. You know that, don't you?"

"I know," Isabel said unhappily. "It just feels wrong when you're away. And it's so often- I can practically count the days until you'll suddenly have to disappear again. It's like clockwork."

"It feels wrong to me too. I'm sorry," Remus apologised.

Isabel nodded. She slipped away from him, standing up to begin the process of returning all her clothing to where it rightfully belonged and trying to smooth some of the wrinkles out. Remus just watched her for a moment.

"I wouldn't go if I didn't have to, Isabel."

She finished refastening her bra and smoothed her skirt back into place before she would make eye contact.

"I know, Remus."

* * *

Dawn's spoon was chasing the last few globs of porridge around her bowl. She watched her breakfast with detachment, not really seeing the game of cat and mouse between the food and the spoon playing out right before her eyes.

"Morning, beautiful," Sirius said, appearing in the seat next to her out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Dawn mumbled, looking up blankly. "What was that?"

Sirius arched an eyebrow. "That was me saying good morning and calling you beautiful," he recapped.

"Oh… Thanks."

Sirius frowned a little. That was a strange thing to say, even for Dawn. "Do I get a kiss, then?"

Dawn cocked her head to the side. "Since when do you ask for permission?"

"Good point, baby." Ignoring the absurdity of the conversation they'd just had, Sirius swept Dawn up in a good morning kiss that never failed to make the start of his day feel so much brighter.

He broke off when he sensed the radiation of McGonagall's stare on the back of his head and inhaled the last few bites of Dawn's abandoned breakfast before reaching for the bacon to begin his own breakfast. Dawn fiddled with her half-full goblet of pumpkin juice and watched in silence as Sirius created a feast of all the fattiest foods Hogwarts had to offer. She grimaced as he tore into a sausage, devouring it with one bite.

"Ugh, how can you put so much of that stuff into your body?"

Sirius swallowed with some difficulty. "What? It's good food!"

"It's greasy and fatty," Dawn countered. "You'll kill yourself on that stuff."

Sirius laughed. "I'm sixteen, Kitten, not sixty. The worst that could happen is that by some fluke I'd hit a bad one and get sick for a day. Which I wouldn't mind at all, considering I've got you to play nurse-maid for me," he said with a wink.

Dawn swatted his backside. "Eat your grease, you'll be late for class."

"Yes dear."

Dawn made a face. Dear? Old married couple much?

Sirius began to wolf down his food, pausing every now and then to say something to Dawn after swallowing. Within a week of knowing them, she'd somehow educated the previously tameless Marauders that sentences accompanied by bits of half chewed food were not the most effective means of communication.

"I missed you last night," he said, running a finger across one of her hands. "I thought you might come."

Dawn glanced at him, then looked away. "I was going to, really I was. But then I got talking to Lily, and she kept me back so late that I got too tired so I ended up just going to bed."

"You've been tired a bit lately," Sirius commented. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Dawn promised, looking up at him. It was kind of true. Physically there wasn't a thing wrong with her. "I've just gone into catch-up mode with my sleep, I think. You don't have to worry about me."

"What if I want to?"

dawn smiled vaguely in Sirius' direction then looked away quickly. She glanced at her empty bowl and paused a moment. There was a letter sitting in front of it. She looked around, but couldn't think of any other means for it to have arrived but with the flurry of the Owl Post. Sirius, still working through his breakfast feast, didn't notice as she picked up the envelope and checked the address.

_Dawn Summers,_

_Gryffindor Table, Great Hall_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

With a little frown, she opened it up and pulled out a small leaf of parchment. She hesitated a second, then unfolded the message.

'_I'm watching you. I'm waiting for you.'_

Without hesitation, Dawn's gaze flew straight to the Slytherin table. She expected to be challenged by the smirk of Lucius Malfoy, but he was deep in conversation with Narcissa Black and wasn't the slightest bit interested in his own letters, let alone hers. She surveyed the rest of the Slytherins, but nobody seemed to be shooting threatening glances at her any more than usual.

She thought to herself a moment. Those words were stirring something within her memory. Then it clicked. The unsettling dream she'd had a few weeks ago. Menacing, and red eyes in the dark.

"I've got to go. I'll see you in class, ok?"

Dawn stuffed the note in her bag and jumped up. She was already out of the Great Hall by the time Sirius had swallowed enough of his hash browns to ask her where she was going. Five minutes later, she was stepping into Professor Dumbledore's office as casually as the next Marauder.

"Um, I just got this at breakfast. I thought you should take a look at it," she said, handing the note to the Headmaster and taking a seat.

"You didn't see the owl that left it, I presume?" Dumbledore asked.

Dawn shook her head. "No. I looked around, but I couldn't see any likely suspects. It was just there when I looked down."

The old man nodded sagely. "When we allow ourselves too many distractions, we often fail to see what is right before our eyes."

Dawn looked down, properly chastised. "There's something else," she said, wanting to move the conversation along as quickly as possible. "Those words, I've heard them before. In a dream, Professor, I saw red eyes and I heard a voice saying exactly that."

Dumbledore's eyes widened behind his half-moon spectacles, but before Dawn could be sure of the movement his face was neutral again, if not a little graver. "You must be very careful now, Dawn. I'll be keeping an extra sharp watch over you, but please do not do anything to place yourself in unnecessary danger."

"Of course not," Dawn said, mentally rolling her eyes. Dumbledore wasn't saying anything Buffy hadn't already told her a hundred times. If he put his hands on his hips, it'd be the perfect impression of the Slayer.

Sensing that he was losing his audience, Dumbledore held out a dish. "Lemon drop?"

Dawn plucked one from the bowl. "Thanks."

"You'll be late for class," he replied, taking his own lemon drop before putting the dish down. He inclined his head to indicate her dismissal.

Dawn picked up her pace, rushing towards the Transfiguration room and entering the corridor from the opposite end to usual. She glanced up and stopped dead in her tracks. She smiled.

Lily was standing just outside the door to Transfiguration, blushing up at a tall, handsome boy Dawn recognised from Quidditch matches as being Chase Jones, the Ravenclaw Seeker. Oblivious to their audience, Chase grinned at Lily and cupped her cheek. In slow motion, their lips came together. After a few long moments, Chase and Lily broke their kiss and pulled apart. Dawn's smile flickered and died.

As the two teens separated, a new face became visible from the opposite end of the corridor to Dawn. James stood rooted to the spot, his whole face turning grey and going slack. Dawn's heart clenched for her surrogate brother, she could see his own heart breaking right before her.

Seeing nothing but the handsome boy before her, Lily smiled prettily. "Bye, Chase."

"See you later, Lily," Chase promised in return.

The Gryffindor reluctantly went into her classroom. Chase turned away and hurried to get to his own lesson. He brushed by James without pausing to acknowledge his existence.

"James…" Dawn took a few steps forwards.

He just shook his head and held up a forestalling hand. "Tell me that didn't just happen."

Dawn bit her lip and closed the distance between them. "I'm sorry."

"Not what I wanted to hear, Kitten. But thanks," James said glumly. He was studying his shoes, blinking rapidly and fighting off a major emotional explosion.

Dawn checked her watch, then glanced between James and the door of the classroom. They were about twenty seconds away from lateness, but somehow she knew James wouldn't survive the lesson. The grin on Lily's face would send him over the edge within two minutes. She reached out and seized his hand.

"Come on," she whispered, pulling him quietly away from the classroom. "Let's go get some ice-cream."

For the entire first lesson, Dawn and James hid in the Kitchens and drowned their sorrows in tubs of ice-cream. Dawn's only voiced complaint as they ate was that the House-Elves didn't stock her favourite combination; tomato sauce and chutney with mayonnaise. She'd had to settle for triple choc with raspberry, James' usual.

James idly wondered could possibly be looking so heartbroken over, but was too upset to ask so he just brushed the dullness in her eyes off as sympathy blues. Transfiguration passed by without them, and only because Lily wasn't in the class was Dawn able to convince James to accompany her to Divination. They handed Locky back the spoons, dumped the two empty ice-cream cartons in the bin, and melted into the crowds of students on their way to the second class of the day.

They arrived at the base of the Divination tower barely five minutes after the rest of the class had gone up. James held Dawn back by grabbing her elbow, and she turned to face him.

"You're pretty good at this sister stuff, you know," he said by way of thanks.

"As far as brothers go, you're the best I've ever adopted," Dawn returned with all sincerity. Spike and Xander had both been good protectors, and even friends, but there was just something that much more involved about her relationship with James.

She stretched up and kissed his cheek, and was surprised when James grabbed her and held her close for a bit longer. Then they broke apart wordlessly and headed up into Divination at last. When they climbed into the tower, Professor Damus glanced at them, put out by their tardiness.

They slipped into the spare chairs at Sirius' table, and he too looked put out by their conspicuous absences. He'd even started drumming his fingers against the rickety little table. The moment Damus had passed out their Palmistry guides, he rounded on the pair of them.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" he demanded.

James looked away, embarrassed to admit he'd skipped a class over girl troubles. Especially when he didn't even have a girl, technically speaking. Dawn picked up on his feelings at once. She shook her head at Sirius.

"Just forget about it, Sirius," she urged in an undertone. "Call it a sibling thing, or something, ok?"

Sirius scrunched his nose up. What was that supposed to mean? "Whatever," he said eventually. "But you guys owe me big time, I had to cover for you with McGonagall with no warning. You try keeping a straight face while you're telling her our friends can't make it to class because Garden Gnomes got into Gryffindor tower and started nicking their stuff!"

Dawn and James both stared at Sirius, trying to assure themselves that he was only joking. Dawn would've given anything to be certain he was just messing around with them, but Sirius' expression was so completely affronted that they just knew he wasn't kidding. James started to snicker.

"Thanks for covering, Padfoot," he laughed.

Dawn just grinned and shook her head. No use worrying too much now. "So what did we miss?" she asked.

"Nothing exciting," Sirius promised. "We were just turning our pincushions back into porcupines. Simple stuff, Kitten, it'll take you guys all of ten minutes to catch up."

"Cool," Dawn said.

James propped up his Palmistry chart to hide what he was really up to as he began to scribble furiously on a scrap of parchment. Dawn glanced over, saw a list of products that could only be used for pranking purposes, and promptly looked away. If this was what he needed to do to vent, then that's what he'd do.

Instead she began scanning the information on Palmistry. She'd never tried it before, but it looked interesting. Knowing what was coming, Sirius just held his hand out to Dawn, laying his palm facing up. Dawn stared at the hand, a hot stab of guilt slicing through her stomach. It wasn't fair of him to be so wonderful to her when she was … what?

Dawn began running her fingers along all the little lines on his hand, trying to learn what it all meant. Sirius watched the way she concentrated with a smile. She frowned to herself and kept glancing between Sirius' hand and the chart as if she was looking for a different answer to the one she was actually reading. After a while, Sirius scooted over closer so he could watch her work properly.

"What do you see?"

Dawn glanced up, sombre-faced, then smiled and looked back down. "I see … A callus over here," she pointed out.

He arched an eyebrow, but Dawn was quick to follow up her discovery by lifting his hand to her lips and giving the callus she'd found a little peck. James gagged loudly. Dawn poked her tongue out at him.

"Come up with any good pranks yet?" she asked, successfully changing the subject and diverting Sirius' attention away from her.

Sirius perked up at once. "Pranks? Who are we pranking? Why? No wait, that's not important. When? What do you have in mind?"

With an evasive shrug, James slid his list over so his best friend could look at it. "I just feel we've been a nit quiet on the pranking front lately, Padfoot. It's time to come out of hibernation."

Both boys began to collaborate enthusiastically on prank ideas, Dawn left them to it and tried to work out the problem she'd had reading Sirius' palm. She re-read the section on life lines more closely, then decided to try again. she grabbed James' hand, he didn't skip a beat in his conversation as she began to canvass the lines of his palm in great detail. After a few minutes, she sighed and let James have his hand back. She'd somehow done even worse with James than she had with Sirius. Try as she might, she just couldn't get the life lines right for either boy.

After Divination, they went back to the Great Hall for lunch. Dawn wasn't hungry at all, but she took a very small portion of the steak and kidney pie just to avoid a lecture from Remus about making herself sick. Dawn rolled her eyes to herself. As if dumping a load of pie over all that ice-cream was going to be good for her.

James didn't seem too troubled by that prospect, he was shovelling large forkfuls of pie into his mouth and barely coming up for air. Dawn was left to field Remus and Peter's questions about where she and James had got to that morning. Dawn just smiled and shrugged, told them something had come up and not to worry about it.

Within a few minutes, James had begun to look a little more human again. He was even breathing in between mouthfuls and his scowl had dropped a couple of notches. Then Lily floated in and sat down almost directly across from James without even realising it.

She looked up, right through James and smiled at something, or someone beyond him. James flushed red, then went completely white. Lily's grin deepened significantly, she waved at the Ravenclaw table and turned obliviously to begin serving herself lunch. Remus and Sirius shared a look of sudden understanding.

After that, nobody was safe. The halls of Hogwarts became a war zone for the officially unknown, but highly suspected pranksters who barely let an hour of the day pass by without unleashing some vile new horror on the student body. There were more dungbombs than stones on the floor surrounding the Divination tower. Students had to swim through the corridor to get to the Charms room, and fight through a nest of Blast-Ended Skrewts that seemed to be invisibly and unbreakably tethered to the hall outside Potions.

James convinced the rest of his team to spend one of their practices redecorating a few of the Quidditch change rooms for the other houses. The Slytherins had their change rooms coated with thick molasses, while the Ravenclaws were treated to a special of concealed stinksap pods that nobody knew were there until they were touched. Then they exploded. After that, James spent two hours searching the castle for Peeves the Poltergeist, then casually dropped into the conversation that he'd always wondered what the Ravenclaw table would look like upended in the middle of dinner. James had laughed riotously as a dish of pudding landed all over Chase Jones, the spoon hitting him in the face and the chocolate globs sliding down him. After that evening the other ghosts had got together and banned Peeves from the Great Hall during meal times.

"But it was worth it, Peevesy," James muttered in consolation as he passed.

* * *

Five shadows slunk down through the castle. It was a couple of hours after the 9PM curfew, and the Marauders were creeping up to the Ravenclaw portrait. The old, intellectual wizard with a scraggly black beard was snoozing with his head resting against the frame. He let out a particularly loud, snorting snore as they approached. Dawn snickered quietly.

"Shh," Remus cautioned.

Dawn rolled her eyes, but quietened down.

Quickly, they all took their positions. James and Sirius performed a spell to release the hinges, and the weight of the portrait fell on Dawn and Remus on one side, and Sirius and James on the other. They pulled it free of the opening as quietly as they could, and Peter stepped in to coat the opening with super-strength, magic resistant super glue.

When Peter was clear of the gaping hole they'd made of the Ravenclaw Common Room's opening, the other four manoeuvred the portrait around so it was actually facing into the Common Room. they then glued it firmly in place, trapping the Ravenclaws firmly in their dorms.

Trying not to laugh with wicked glee the whole time, the Marauders sprinted away. It was barely 11.30 by the time they were slipping back into their own Common Room. Half way between the portrait and the boys' stairs, Dawn pulled her hand out of Sirius'. He turned to look at her in surprise.

"You're not coming up?"

Dawn shook her head slowly, not sure what to say. The other three boys had already gone upstairs, but Sirius came back to stand before her.

"Why not? What's wrong?"

She looked down. "I just don't feel so great, ok? Maybe I'm coming down with something," she said lamely.

"Oh," Sirius said, trying not to look too disappointed. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked, reaching up to massage her shoulders.

Dawn shook her head and pushed him gently away. "No. I just want to get to bed. 'Night."

She smacked a light kiss to the side of his mouth and flitted away up the girls' stairs. Sirius was left frowning, standing alone in the middle of the fire lit Common Room.

"'Night," he echoed after her shadow.

The next morning, the Ravenclaw table was suspiciously empty. The Marauders blended into all the speculative chatter and focused on their breakfast. Lily was chewing her bottom lip and staring at the empty table.

"Something the matter, Tigerlily?" Sirius asked, buttering his toast and barely concealing a grin.

Lily glanced at the Marauder sharply, but did not rise to the bait. She shook her head and had another mouthful of cereal, but her eyes kept darting towards the empty Ravenclaw section of the Great Hall. She didn't see James' wickedly self-satisfied grin.

Dumbledore called Filch over to him and discreetly suggested he take a walk up to the Ravenclaw corridor to see if there was any sign of the missing house. The Marauders sneakily lifted their goblets in salutation to each other as Filch slouched and snarled his way out of the Great Hall.

Ten minutes later, the Caretaker wheezed back into the Great Hall. "Headmaster, you've got to come quick. It's the Ravenclaw portrait!"

Practically the whole school stood to follow Dumbledore but he turned back and fixed them all with a stern look.

"Unless you have been mysteriously trapped within your own Common Room, I see no excuse for you to all be late for your classes. Now off you all go."

The student body groaned as one, but obeyed the order nonetheless. All the Marauders tried not to smirk too obviously as the theories on the mysterious disappearance of Ravenclaw swirled around them. They took their usual seats in Charms and waited for Flitwick to arrive and begin their lesson.

"You know," James said, loud enough for Lily to overhear. "If those Ravenclaws were so bloody smart, they'd be able to sort their own problems out."

Sirius laughed loudly and clapped his best friend on the back. He tilted his chair back on two legs, lounging at his ease. Lily whipped around to glare at them.

"It's not funny! Something really bad could've happened to all those Ravenclaws, and here you prats are laughing your arrogant heads off about it!"

Dawn widened her eyes innocently and turned to diffuse the situation. "Lily," she said in her most naïve, soothing voice. "You might be overreacting just a bit, you know. It's just a portrait problem- you heard Filch say that. Besides, how much danger can they really be in while they're all still inside Hogwarts?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Need I remind you what almost happened to _you_ while you were in the supposed safety of Hogwarts?"

Dawn blanched. Lily's words had hit her like a slap to the face, for a moment she was trapped in the memory of hard shackles and hurtful hands. The tilted legs of Sirius' chair hit the floor with a dead thud. His eyes frosted over and he glared at the redheaded Prefect.

"Oh God," Lily blurted, realising what she'd just said. "Oh Dawn, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up on you, really. I know that sounded horrible, I really didn't intend it to be hurtful."

Dawn nodded, though she wasn't looking at Lily. "I know. It's ok, Lily. I guess you weren't exactly wrong."

"I still shouldn't have said that," Lily said, shifting uncomfortably.

Before the situation could either be resolved or get even more awkward, Professor Flitwick climbed up on his stack of books to begin his lesson. Dawn was grateful for the challenge Charms always presented her; if she concentrated properly it left no room for all those unpleasant thoughts.

Dawn was quiet throughout the whole morning's classes, but the others put it down to lingering upset from Lily's remarks. Nobody seemed to notice that her wounded gaze often encompassed Sirius more than Lily. On the way to Care of Magical Creatures, James took it upon himself to return the favour and try to cheer her up. He slung an arm about her and walked her ahead of the others.

"Remember the time we sent Snape and exploding stinksap package for his birthday?" he said conversationally. "And then the shampoo and conditioner for Christmas?"

Dawn cracked a tiny smile. It had been mildly amusing. And she had managed to talk them out of sending the Bubotuber pus.

"Atta girl," James encouraged. "And what about the look on all those pompous Ravenclaw's faces when Peeves upended the table all over their nice starched robes?"

The smile on Dawn's face was still distracted and miniscule. James gave her a little squeeze.

"Come on, Kitten. Don't make me resort to a Cheering Charm."

Dawn squeezed him back. "Thanks, James. But really, I'm ok."

The others caught up to them then, the whole class gathered in one of the fields and Professor Kettleburn brought out their day's lesson. Dawn's face broke into a true smile at last as Kettleburn led a pure, almost ethereal white Unicorn over to the class.

"Are you telling me that all I had to do to make you smile was get you a unicorn?" James muttered in her ear.

Dawn, still smiling, just glanced playfully back at him.

James shrugged. "Least now I know what to get you for your birthday."

They spent the next hour sketching the Unicorn and learning about their social and dietary habits and their powers of healing. When Kettleburn asked if anyone would like a closer look at the Unicorn before he released it back into the Forbidden Forest, Dawn stepped up immediately.

"Careful," Kettleburn warned as she approached. "They don't much like to be touched before they've got used to a person's presence."

Dawn didn't mind, she was content just to look at the creature of pure beauty. She caught the deep, dark eye and stared into the Unicorn's gaze. After several seconds under the animal's scrutiny, the entire class was surprised to see the Unicorn incline his head, almost nodding at Dawn.

Dawn glanced at Professor Kettleburn, who gestured to indicate that she could touch the Unicorn if she wanted to now. Without hesitation, Dawn reached out and ran a hand down the nose, before moving around to stroke his flank a couple of times. Slowly, a few other people crept up to join her, but Dawn made them work around her, refusing to leave the lovely creature.

When lunch rolled around, Dawn reluctantly gave the Unicorn a final pat before returning to the Great Hall with her friends. When all the students (including a table full of disgruntled Ravenclaws) had gathered, Dumbledore rose to address the assembly.

"While you are all enjoying another excellent Hogwarts lunch, I have a rather serious matter to discuss with you all," he announced, his gaze lingering on the Marauders for a tad longer than any other group of students. "Last night, someone, or more likely several someones, entered the Ravenclaw corridor after curfew and tampered with the portrait. As a result, the students from Ravenclaw were trapped within their dorms and it took a considerable part of my morning to release them."

Most of the Slytherins were sniggering snidely, even a few Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors had got the giggles. Dawn and the boys took the opportunity to release some of their own pent-up mirth without looking too suspicious. Dumbledore held up a hand to restore quiet before he continued.

"Amusing as this may seem now, I must ask that anyone with any information that may lead us to the culprits please come forward at the first opportunity."

The Marauders just grinned and reached for seconds.

* * *

Dawn loved the Common Room when it was empty. It was a bustle of activity during the day, but in the later evening, with the rest of the house either in the dorms, or the Library, or at Quidditch practice, the Common Room could be the most peaceful place in the world. Dawn closed her eyes and sank back into her favourite plushy armchair. She just needed a few minutes of not dealing with whatever mess she'd created and then called her life.

The portrait creaked open and Dawn almost groaned. She opened her eyes to identify the intruder and almost burst into tears. Suddenly she knew she couldn't go on like this anymore.

"Hey baby," Sirius swooped in to kiss her.

Dawn froze. Then blind instinct took over and she pulled away, feeling disgusted with herself for the way she suddenly _hated_ the way Sirius kissed her. Sirius straightened up, shocked by her reaction to her.

"What the…? Dawn, why did you just do that?"

"I don't know," Dawn said, curling her whole body away. "I just… I don't know."

"Yes you do," Sirius blurted. Dawn looked at him. "You've been acting funny for ages, making up some bull about being tired, or not feeling well. I kept trying to let it go, wait for you to sort yourself out. But I'm sick of it, Dawn. I want to know what the hell is going on with you, and I want to know now!"

The question he got in reply completely baffled him. "What am I?"

"What?" Sirius almost laughed. "You're my girlfriend… Or at least you look like her…"

A single tear slid down Dawn's face. "What else?"

Sirius froze a moment. Then he took a step back. He wasn't sure what exactly was going on here, but his gut was telling him he really didn't like it. "What do you mean, what else?"

Dawn blinked rapidly a couple of times. "Exactly that, Sirius. What am I in the world besides your girlfriend? Did you know there are people around here who can't even recognise me without me hanging off your arm?" Her tone had turned a shade accusing, Dawn stood up and faced Sirius properly.

"And you're saying that's my fault?" Sirius rallied.

Dawn shook her head. "I never said that! I'm just trying to figure out who I am… and you're not helping."

Sirius was breathing heavily, feeling as if he'd been swept up in a hurricane he didn't even see coming. "And how exactly am I 'not helping'?"

"Well for starters all you ever want me for now is sex."

The words burst bitterly from Dawn before the thought had even fully formed in her mind. There was a beat of stillness, in which she and Sirius stood staring at each other, equally shocked by the revelation. He was almost visibly counting to ten to try and compose himself before even attempting to reply.

"I don't know what you mean," he said, forcing it out and beginning to shake under the strain of holding Dawn's gaze.

She exhaled loudly. "Oh come on, Sirius. When was the last time we did _anything_ as a couple that wasn't either sex or foreplay? When was the last time we just hung out together? Or had a real conversation? Or went on a date?" She counted the things they used to do before their relationship had become consumed by physical intimacy on her fingers.

Sirius couldn't come up with an answer to her accusing questions. He looked down. "I thought you were happy. Why didn't you say any of this before?" he mumbled.

"I thought it would get better," Dawn whispered. "I thought it was just me, that I'd get used to it… But it's not getting better, Sirius. I don't feel like this is right anymore."

Sirius' hand went to his stomach as if he'd been punched. He spent a few moments catching his breath, trying to mentally catch up with the situation. Then he looked back at Dawn and just shook his head as if he could make the whole scene just disappear.

"Come on, baby," he almost pleaded. "This is ridiculous. You say you don't know who you are- you're kidding, right? You're Dawn," he said, hoping to give her some clarity, make her see reason.

Dawn's eyes narrowed into icy slits. "Don't patronise me," she hissed dangerously. Then her eyes widened and welled up. "I can't stand this anymore. Face it- this whole thing only happened by default. Tell me, Sirius, if you guys hadn't just so happened to be the ones who found me on the steps that day, would you have ever even looked at me twice?"

"Yes," Sirius said quietly. Dawn was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, how could she have even questioned that he'd have wanted her anyway.

"I don't believe you," Dawn said, just as quiet.

"So what?" Sirius snapped, becoming slightly aggressive in his confusion. "You want us to break up?"

"I never said that. Never," Dawn said, but the tears had already begun to fall. "I didn't say I wanted us to b-break up."

"Then what the hell do you want?" Sirius shouted back, his anger gaining momentum.

Dawn sniffled. "I- I don't know."

"Bullshit!"

Dawn looked affronted by the curse. She opened her mouth to chastise him, but snapped it closed again. Somehow the swearing lecture just seemed so completely out of place.

"Bullshit," he said more quietly, repeating it just to annoy her. Suddenly is seemed like wonderfully perverse fun to do all the things she didn't like, just for the sake of it.

"Can't we talk about this?"

All of a sudden, Dawn's energy bled out of her and she was left limp and powerless. She didn't know what she wanted, but this was not what she imagined when she prayed for something to change. Not wanting her to see the wetness in his eyes and know how close he was to tears himself, Sirius looked away. He stopped yelling, but the coldness in his voice was more terrible than anything volume could manage.

"What's there to talk about?" he asked bitterly. "I think you've made yourself pretty clear. You think I'm just using you for sex and it's my fault you can't stand on your own two feet. I understand perfectly."

"No…" Dawn protested, but her voice was weak and Sirius overrode it without hearing her at all.

He leaned close into Dawn's face. "So that's how you're gonna leave? Straight out from underneath, huh?" he snarled. "Well, we'll see who's sorry now little girl." He kissed her roughly, hurtfully goodbye.

Dawn was left standing in the middle of the Common Room, alone and crying. Sirius, still trying not to cry himself, turned and stormed for the portrait. It swung open as he reached it, and James was just stepping through.

"Padfoot?"

But Sirius didn't stop. He slammed out past his best friend and off into the castle without a backward glance. Frowning, James watched his retreating form, then came fully into the Common Room. He looked up.

"Dawn…?"

_

* * *

_

_It's amazing, _

_how you make your face just like a wall_

_how you take your heart and turn it off_

_how I turn my head and lose it all._

_It's unnerving, _

_how just one move puts me by myself_

_there you go just trusting someone else_

_now I know I put us both through hell._

_I'm not saying there wasn't nothing wrong,_

_I just didn't think you'd ever get tired of me._

_And I'm not saying we ever had the right to hold on,_

_I just didn't wanna let it get away from me._

_But if that's how it's gonna leave,_

_Straight out from underneath_

_Then we'll see who's sorry now._

_If that's how it's gonna stand, when_

_You know you've been depending on_

_The one you're leaving now_

_The one you're leaving out._

_It's aggravating,_

_How you threw me on and you tore me out,_

_How your good intentions turned to doubt,_

_The way you needed time to sort it out._

_And I'm not saying there wasn't nothing wrong,_

_I just didn't think you'd ever get tired of me._

_And I'm not saying we ever had the right to hold on,_

_I just couldn't ever let you get away from me._

_But if that's how you're gonna leave,_

_Straight out from underneath_

_Then we'll see who's sorry now._

_If that's how it's gonna stand, when_

_You know you've been depending on_

_The one you're leaving now_

_The one you're leaving out._

_The one you're leaving now_

_Now, no, no_

_The one you're leaving out._

_I'm not saying there was nothing wrong,_

_Didn't think you'd ever get tired of me._

_But if that's how you're gonna leave,_

_Straight out from underneath_

_Then we'll see who's sorry now._

_If that's how it's gonna stand, when_

_You know you've been depending on_

_The one you're leaving out, now_

_Yeah well tell me is that how it's gonna end_

_When you know you've been depending on_

_The one you're leaving now_

_And the one you're leaving out_

_I'm the one you're leaving now,_

_Now the one you're leaving out._


	25. Careless Whisper

**Disclaimer:** Still owning nothing. Dawn is Joss Whedon's & the Hogwarts gang are JK Rowling's. Careless Whisper is George Michael's (don't laugh- the man is entitled to _one _half-decent song!)

**A.N.** I'm well aware that everyone may hate me now. You get that on big jobs. Please have faith (and hey- a flame is still a review). Action next 2 chapters, I promise!

**Reviewers:**

**Sonofgloin:**I always knew you wouldn't hate me for inflicting pain & horror on my little creative world. Missed your reviews while you were gone, but since I know where you were you're forgiven. XX00

**Saxifrage:**Sorry about the cliffie- it had to be done. Will be looking at your poems now (and picking a couple of my own for you to laugh at!) Hope you're working on 'Something to Ponder', too! XX

**Eyexcandy:**I am evil Homer, I am evil Homer You're my favourite reviewer to tease, coz you're so good at doing it back! Please keep flaming until you get your own way! XX

**Lucky Shamrock:**I'm sorry to have made you cry so much at Christmas, and I'm really sorry this took so long to get up- life stands in my way sometimes.

**Pomegranate Queen:**I totally hear what you're saying about the badness befalling someone wallowing in heartbreak & self pity- look for that to come up in chapter 25 (hehe I'm a tease)

**Elle Blessingway:**I'm sorry I've been keeping you hanging on Cruel & Unusual!!! I didn't think anybody was really reading it there anymore! It's in my mind that I have to update there, so I will try to backdate and get it caught up as soon as possible! Thanks for letting me know about it though- I'm occasionally a bit sporadic & forgetful. Sorry to keep you on the edge of your seat for too long.

**Crazy-VampireSlayer:**Well sometimes it takes time for things to get better, you know? All I can say is please be patient. On the other hand, the Remus/Isabel & lycanthropy issue, I'm estimating, will come to a head within about 5 chapters… stay tuned for that one.

**Leeci Aliez:**I'm glad you like this.

**Sloan:**Sorry I couldn't make it a Christmas pressie- think of this update as a belated 'Happy New Year'! And as for Dawn & James doing something damaging to the relationship to comfort each other, I had considered that. It would be interesting to see, wouldn't it?

**Bluegummiebear7:**What you think just happened really did just happen at the end of that chapter. Sorry, but it's not just a bad dream LOL

**Ashibabi:**I'm glad you're thinking this is cool.

**Unforgiven Mistress:**I had you in tears? Yay! Not that I'm glad you're crying, just glad that I'm doing my job as an author… I guess. I've had a lot of requests on the Spike front, and let's just say I've got something up my sleeve for him. It's not 100 guaranteed he will appear, but if I decide to do it, I will easily be able to.

**Catgirl Elf Princess:**Thanks for being so supportive about this story twist. It's really helpful to know I've got reviewers who'll stick with it even if I do make things a bit painful.

**T.S.:**Here it is at last…

**The Lady Morgaine:**I hope you're still reading this by now. Thank you for the compliment.

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

**Careless Whisper**

"Dawn…?"

James stepped further into the Common Room. Dawn's only response was to start sobbing in earnest. She covered her face with her hands, her whole body shaking uncontrollably. She felt James' arms lock around her and clutched at his shoulder for dear life.

"Shh," he murmured, surprisingly soothing. "Shh. It's ok, Kitten. Settle down, now. It's all right." Dawn drenched James' shirt with her tears. He just rocked her back and forth on the spot and waited for her to be able to speak for herself again.

"What happened?" he asked once she showed the first signs of potential calmness.

"W-we had a-a-a f-fight," Dawn blubbered. "I said I-I couldn't h-handle things anym-m-more and then he got m-mad and we b-broke up!"

James' blood ran cold. Remus, long ago, had vaguely mentioned that if a relationship between Dawn and Sirius turned sour, it wouldn't just be the two of them affected. The Marauders as a whole would be changed forever. But none of them had ever truly believed it would come to that. He stiffened a little as Dawn clung to him. How was he supposed to choose between his best mate, and his surrogate sister?

Dawn noticed the change in James' posture and pulled back a bit to look into his face. "Do you h-hate me now?" she asked, sniffling.

"No," James said. He shook his head glumly and kissed her forehead. "I just don't know what to say right now, Kitten," he admitted.

Dawn swiped at her face with the back of her hand. There was nothing he could say. She closed her eyes and tried to let the hand rubbing her back soothe her. James was always good at taking care of her, but nothing could take away the ache inside. She felt as if someone had put her heart through a mincer and then microwaved the remains.

No more Sirius. No more searing kisses, or warn arms in the night, or comforting songs when she was sad. A new wave of tears rolled down her cheeks and James pulled her close again.

"Come on, Kitten," he said lamely.

Dawn nodded and made a valiant attempt at pulling herself together. She wiped her face again and tried to straighten her shoulders. "O-ok."

"Good," he encouraged as her shaking diminished. He laid a hand against her hot forehead. "You'll make yourself sick if you don't settle down, how about you go and get some rest?"

Dawn sniffed. "I'll never be able to sleep."

"I know. But just lay down, try to rest for me please."

Dawn nodded and hugged James for a moment longer before turning and going slowly up the girls' stairs. She moved slowly, her muscles strained, her limbs looking wobbly like overcooked spaghetti. The moment she was out of sight, James tore up to his own dorm and pulled Remus' top drawer open. He grabbed the Marauders' Map and spread it over the floor.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

With one touch of his wand, ink spidered out all over the parchment. He scanned the castle for the little red paw print, wiping the map once he'd spotted it and stuffing it carelessly back in Remus' drawer. He flew nimbly back into the Common Room and back into the halls. Thanking Merlin that his Quidditch obsession kept him so fit, James sprinted through the castle and up an endless flight of stairs. He shoved through a wooden door and emerged into the cool night air.

"Padfoot…"

He was sitting on the wide stone border surrounding the open roof of the castle, dangling his legs over the edge. He gave no sign of registering his presence, but James could tell Sirius knew he was there. He wandered over and leaned his back against the stones, facing the opposite way to his best friend.

"Need anything?" he asked a little uncomfortably. Serious discussions were usually Remus' department.

Sirius shrugged. When James looked over he could see him fiddling with a small square of parchment. It was old and creased, but still much cherished.

"I should've known better," Sirius muttered as one corner of the parchment in his hands began to tear. "Nothing but trouble, the bloody lot of them. Should never have got myself in this crap."

James said nothing, letting Sirius vent with whatever would make him feel better.

"Wasn't my fault she doesn't know whether she's coming or going," Sirius continued, half to himself. "Not a bloody mind reader, and she was more than willing. Just what I get for looking for more in a girl than a shag."

"Do you really mean all that, mate?" James asked quietly. He was, after all, talking about James' sister.

"Yes!" Sirius burst out.

James looked sharply at him but Sirius didn't notice the attention. He was reading the scrap of parchment one last time. Then he was laughing cruelly.

"What a load of bull."

He scrunched the parchment up and tossed it from the roof of the castle. James whipped around, drawing his wand and leaning over the edge.

" _Accio parchment!_"

It flew back up and he snatched it from the air. Sirius shot him a filthy look but James ignored it. He flattened the crumpled parchment and smoothed it against the stones. He'd seen the note before, but he paused a moment to let his eyes skip sadly over the swirling letters.

_Doubt thou the stars are fire._

_Doubt that the sun doth move._

_Doubt truth to be a liar._

_But never doubt I love._

He folded it carefully and slid it into the pocket of his robes.

"You might want that one day," was all he would say.

"Don't hold your breath, Prongs," Sirius replied, but there was no more harshness in his voice. There was only overpowering sadness.

"All the same, I'll hang onto it. I'm real sorry about all this, Padfoot," James muttered, half embarrassed. "None of us ever wanted to see this happen."

"Except probably Wormtail," Sirius joked humourlessly.

"Nah," James shook his head. "I think Peter will always have a bit of a crush on Dawn, but he knows it's pointless. He'd never want to see either of you hurt."

"I know mate, I'm just…" Sirius shrugged. How could he explain the feeling of having your whole world pulled out from beneath your feet, flipped upside down, turned backwards and inside out and just being wrong?

"Yeah," James said.

"Tell you one thing, though," Sirius said, turning to catch his best friend's eye at last. "No more of this relationship junk. It's pretty obvious I'm not cut out for the mushy junk… thank Merlin. It's back to getting what I want and getting the hell out before it gets messy!"

James sighed. Things with the Marauders were about to get very messy. "I hope you know what you're doing, mate."

* * *

"Come on, Dawn," Isabel said, shaking her shoulder. "You've got to get up."

"No," Dawn mumbled, burrowing deeper into her pillows. "I don't care if there's no cable, I'm staying up here til I die!"

Isabel looked at Dawn's red, puffy face with sympathy. When she and Lily had stepped into the dorm last night, Dawn was already there, buried in her bedding and wailing like a banshee. They'd barely understood a word she'd said, but somewhere amongst the shuddering and hiccoughing they'd gleaned that Dawn and Sirius had broken up. For good. He hated her, even. Isabel sighed.

"Come on, sweetie," she encouraged, smoothing Dawn's damp hair off her sweaty forehead. "You'll feel a bit better once you get moving."

Dawn sniffed loudly, then took the tissue Isabel was ready to offer. "How can I go down there?" she demanded, her voice cracking. "How can I face him- face everyone?"

Just then, Lily came walking briskly out from the bathroom. She marched over to Dawn and tore her covers away. "Your bath is ready, get moving or you'll be late," she said, all business.

Dawn glared up at her through murky and bloodshot eyes. Lily gave her a soft look, but didn't waver. "I can't let you just hibernate up here, Dawn. You'll have to face the world eventually, and it'll make it easier if you get it over with sooner rather than later."

Lily tugged Dawn's hand, but Dawn refused to budge. After about five minutes, Lily tired of trying to be supportively firm and Isabel was sick of getting nowhere with Dawn by being gentle and encouraging.

"You've had your chances," Lily said and she whipped out her wand. "_Mobillicorpus!_"

"Hey!" Dawn protested as Lily used magic to float her out of bed and into the bathroom. The Prefect stopped just short of dropping Dawn fully clothed into the tub, leaving her on the edge.

"If you're not back out in half an hour, we're coming in to get you," Lily warned before walking out of the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

Dawn sighed, swiped at the couple of tears leaking onto her red cheeks, and began to pull her nightclothes off. She stepped back into the dorm twenty-nine minutes and forty-seven seconds later, much to Isabel's relief. Lily, her eyes on her watch, was standing at the bathroom door poised with her wand at the ready. Dawn just stood still and let Lily fasten her tie properly while Isabel fixed her hair into a clip.

When the girls were satisfied she was at least semi-presentable, Lily wordlessly handed Dawn her packed schoolbag and steered her towards the Great Hall. The whispers followed Dawn the entire way. She was no longer the only girl who'd ever managed to land Sirius Black and keep him grounded. She was just the latest girl who'd tried and failed to hold him down.

Breakfast was pure torture for Dawn. Remus was the only Marauder in the Great Hall when they arrived, and Isabel insisted they sit with him. Dawn's stomach clenched, but Remus held out his hand to her and pulled her into the seat next to him on the opposite side to Isabel.

"I'll always be here for you Dawn," he reminded her quietly, pouring the whole group's pumpkin juice like he always had. "I told you, you can talk to me about anything and I meant it."

Dawn nodded and almost smiled. Between Lily, Remus and Isabel they almost had her convinced that she should eat something when Sirius stomped into the Great Hall with James and Peter flanking him. The spoon half raised to Dawn's lips dropped at once. The rest of the Hall seemed to be watching avidly.

He looked at her once, she could feel his eyes burning all over her. But other than that, he gave no sign that he'd ever even known her. A stranger would think they'd never been friends, let alone lovers. Sirius stalked to the furthest end of the table and sat down, pointedly situating himself where he wouldn't have to see Dawn.

James and Peter both glanced at Dawn, but went and sat with Sirius. Almost instantly the other students began to speculate about a division in the Marauders. Lily glared at a group of Hufflepuffs ridiculously suggesting that the group has split because Dawn had become involved in a torrid affair with both Remus and Isabel, and the others had felt excluded.

"Oh really!" Lily thundered at them. "Just grow up, will you!?"

"I never knew you felt that way, Dawn," Isabel grinned, eliciting the tiniest crease in Dawn's lips in response. Remus glowered at the Hufflepuffs along with Lily, though there was slight colour in his cheeks as he turned around and finished his breakfast.

They left for Potions early, knowing that James, Sirius and Peter wouldn't be on their way until the last minute before class began. Sirius loaded one more serving of eggs onto his plate, appearing to either not notice or not care as his latest ex-girlfriend left the Great Hall. A few minutes before class, the remaining Marauders finally made a move.

One girl was waiting for them as they took to the halls. She was leaning against the cool stones of the wall and pushed off fluidly as the three boys approached. She fell in beside Sirius, bumping Peter out of the way in the process.

"Bugger off," Sirius said, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "I'm not in the mood."

"Tsk, tsk cousin," Narcissa smiled coldly. "You haven't heard me out yet."

"I don't plan on it either," Sirius retorted. He quickened his pace, but Narcissa's legs were easily long enough to match him.

"You should. You're not playing your cards right," she said. "If I were you, I'd be writing to my mother and apologising for my disgraceful behaviour. If you beg for forgiveness now, you just might salvage a scrap of honour in the family."

Sirius snorted mirthlessly. "I know you're blond, Cissa, but you couldn't really be stupid enough to expect me to do that."

"You sure about that?" James quipped.

Narcissa bristled, but did not rise to James' bait. "Use the brain in that blood-traitor head of yours. I'm telling you, Sirius, write to your mother and tell her you're sorry. Tell her you were wrong to consort with the Mudblood and you've come to your senses and discarded her like the piece of garbage she is."

James' face flooded with fury, but it was the look on Sirius' that Narcissa was interested in. She faltered a moment at the uncontrollable pained look on his face and then grinned wickedly.

"She didn't dump you now, did she? Oh tell me the great Sirius Black wasn't used and discarded by a pathetic little American Mudblood," she crowed. "Who would've thought it would take someone so low to beat you at your own game?"

James shared a look with Peter. Sirius had gone white and it was a few moments before he could bring himself under control enough to answer.

"Technically," he said, his voice shaking slightly, "I broke up with her."

Narcissa smiled coldly. "As she was pushing you out the door, I'm sure. Don't mention that to the rest of the family if you ever want to be able to hold your head up again. Think about it for once, cousin," she said by way of farewell. She stalked away without a backward glance.

"Forget her," James said, clapping Sirius on the shoulder. "Let's get to Potions."

They were only just on time for their class, sliding through the doorway just as the Professor was flicking her wand to make the instructions appear on the board. Remus waved as they took their seats nearby, Dawn gripped her quill far too tightly and made a mess while trying to copy the instructions with a shaking hand.

Remus waved his wand discreetly, tidying Dawn's parchment up. While he went to collect their ingredients, Dawn's eyes sought Sirius out on reflex. His movements were rough and defensive like a wounded animal's, Dawn's eyes stung as she realised that had been her doing. He noticed her attention and as he turned to stare back Dawn quickly glanced away. Her lower lip trembled ominously, but Remus' reappearance with the supplies was enough of a distraction to stave off another crying fit for the present. She lit the fire beneath their cauldron and sighed, feeling the stormy blue gaze still burning her.

* * *

By the end of the morning's classes, Dawn decided she couldn't stomach it anymore and fled to the Common Room instead of lunch. Sirius was busy chatting to a couple of pretty Ravenclaws, while he was distracted James disappeared, taking a different route to the rest of his friends.

He turned down a new hallway and his heart plummeted somewhere around his kneecaps. Strolling along, hand in hand and completely oblivious to the rest of the world, were Lily and Chase. Red fury took over James and like a bull, he charged. He stomped deliberately in between them, forcing their hands to separate.

"Oi- watch it," Chase snapped.

James pretended not to hear him and ignored Lily yelling after him as he rounded a corner and then broke into a run to put as much distance between himself and the scene as possible. He jogged to the Kitchens, had Locky prepare a basket for him, and walked it quickly up to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Dawn was huddled on a couch, her eyes closed. She seemed to be blocking everything out, trying to mentally prepare herself for the rest of the day. James looked at her sadly as he put his basket on the closest table.

"Kitten? Sit up, I've got something for you," he said and shook her elbow slightly.

Dawn didn't look remotely interested, but she sat up anyway. James pulled two enormous, Hagrid-sized bowls of ice-cream from the basket. One was his triple choc with raspberry, while the other was just plain vanilla. Next James extracted spoons from the basket, and lastly took out some tomato sauce, some chutney and some mayonnaise.

"They still don't stock your favourite, Kitten, so I thought we could improvise."

Dawn stared at James for a long time, her eyes watering and her lip trembling. But just as he thought she was about to start crying, Dawn's lip steadied, she blinked away the wetness gathering in her eyes and gave him a tremulous smile.

"Thanks, James."

He only grinned and held the bowl of vanilla ice-cream for her while she poured as much of each topping on as she liked and began to much it all together with the rounded side of her spoon. Then she experimentally tasted a bit.

"As good as the store bought stuff?" James asked, reaching for his own bowl at last.

"Better," Dawn said, adding an extra dollop of chutney. "I get to mix it to my own proportions this way."

James chuckled. They'd only had a few more bites each when the Common Room was invaded by a livid redhead.

"Potter you arrogant toe-rag, I've had it with you!" Lily bellowed, standing over James. "I don't care what you say, this time I'm going to McGonagall and you can have a detention. Who do you think you are, shoving through people in the halls like you own the castle?"

James slowly finished his spoonful of ice-cream and refused to divert his gaze from watching Dawn to be sure she was still eating. "Evans, I'm bonding here. I don't particularly care what you do right now, but you can either sit down and have some ice-cream, or you can bugger off. Ok?"

Lily balked. She'd expected James to try to flirt with her and weasel out of punishment like he always did, but he hadn't even looked at her. Confused, she just sat down in the last remaining place on the couch. Without a word, James handed her the extra spoon Locky had packed and offered her his dish.

"You don't want Dawn's, trust me."

Dawn poked her tongue out. Lily gingerly took a spoonful from the dish of her sworn enemy and tasted it. Triple choc with raspberry. Her favourite.

"Thank you, Potter."

Still refusing her the courtesy of eye contact, James nodded and continued to share with her. Dawn just watched, silent and curious, with an upset little frown on her face. She finished her own bowl off not long after James and Lily's was gone, much to James' delight. Dawn usually had such a healthy appetite unless she was upset, he hated to think of her wasting away to nothing. Even if she did end up living entirely on ice-cream.

The bell rang for the end of lunch. James put the dishes back into the basket for the House-Elves to pick up later. "Come on, Kitten," he said. "Let's go and get this Divination rubbish over with for another day."

"Just a minute, Potter," Lily interrupted. "As Prefect, I need a word with you."

Dawn waved glumly and departed for Divination alone. James ran his hand through his hair and looked out the window. Lily folded her arms across her chest and glared at the side of his head.

"I'm still reporting you for what you did just before, in the halls," she said.

James shrugged and crumpled his hair again. "I don't care, Evans."

"Well, you should," Lily huffed. "Don't you ever care about anything besides yourself? The way you pushed between Chase and I today was really rude."

At the mention of Chase, James' head whipped around and he looked at Lily at last through guarded hazel eyes. Lily glared back, and a cruel smirk twisted his lips.

"I didn't hurt poor Chasey-diddums, did I? I guess those Ravenclaws are pretty poncy," he snickered.

Red flooded Lily's cheeks. "Don't you call him that!"

"The truth hurts, Evans darling," he retorted.

The red got deeper. "Don't call me darling! In fact, don't talk to me at all, ever. I'm sick of you, you big-headed prat. I hate you!"

James' hands clenched convulsively. "Yeah well, I think you've already proven that you've got shocking taste when it comes to blokes."

"What's wrong with you, Potter?" Lily demanded, throwing her hands up in frustration. "What do you have against Chase? You've been acting like a complete child ever since I started going out with him!"

"Well you shouldn't be with him," James blurted before he could stop himself. "You deserve better."

A cruel laugh burst from deep within Lily. "I hope you don't mean yourself."

James didn't say anything. Lily's eyes narrowed and she went on the attack, stalking up to James and poking him in the chest.

"Get it through that fat skull of yours- I'm dating Chase Jones. I'm not yours. I'll never, ever be yours. I can't stand the sight of you. Am I making myself clear? Is it sinking into that self-absorbed head yet?"

"Yeah," James said quietly. "I understand perfectly, Evans."

He lurched forwards, for a moment some feral impulse urging him, despite everything, to try to kiss Lily at that moment. But then an image of the anguish in Dawn's eyes, and the bolt of rage he'd felt when Peter had done it flashed over his mind. He just brushed by her and snatched his bag up to head to Divination, late as usual.

His face was aflame as he climbed all the way up to the seventh floor tower. Before he pushed into class, he paused to spend a few minutes by himself. When he thought he'd brought himself under control, he squared his shoulders and entered the Divination tower at last.

He stopped in the doorway and stared around the room, giving the appearance for all the world like he owned the place. Dawn was sitting in one corner of the room, only the pile of palmistry books keeping her company. Sirius was her polar opposite. He was sitting as far away from Dawn as possible and had plenty of company in the form of a couple of giggling Hufflepuffs.

After a minute of Damus glaring expectantly at him, James took a deep breath and went and sat down. Dawn glanced across at him, then buried her nose even deeper in her book. James dropped his bag under his chosen table.

"Hey Padfoot."

"Hey Prongsie. Come to join the fun?" Sirius asked in a forced happy voice.

"Yeah," James said heavily, reaching for a crystal ball.

Sirius raised his voice to be sure it would carry across the room. "How anyone could take this class seriously is beyond me."

The Hufflepuffs giggled again. James smiled half-heartedly, siphoning even more of his attention into the crystal ball he was playing with. Dawn's hands clutching her book were all that was left visible of her. James started to spin the crystal ball on his finger, almost daring Damus to burst in on the awkward scene to reproach him.

"So, what're you two lovely ladies doing later tonight?" Sirius asked, predatory grin firmly in place, but the sparkle not quite reaching his eyes.

Thud.

Smash.

A split second after Dawn lost her grip on her book, James' second crystal ball of the year shattered against the unforgiving stone floor.

"Oops," he said. "Better add that one to my bill."

* * *

James grabbed Isabel's elbow and led her to a quiet section of the hall as the Gryffindors were clearing out of Flitwick's Charms classroom. Isabel raised her eyebrows at him.

"If you want me to put in a good word with Lily for you, forget it Potter," she said at once. "I don't know what happened between you two at lunch, but she was turning purple by the time she got to Arithmancy after."

James scowled. "Thanks for the reminder, Whitman," he said, his hand jumping to his hair. "But actually it was Dawn I wanted to talk about."

Isabel softened instantly. "Yeah? Ok, shoot."

James glanced ahead to where Lily and Dawn were walking together. "Make sure she eats something at dinner, ok? I don't want to see her getting sick."

"If you're that concerned about it, why won't you be sitting there and making sure she gets some food into her system?"

James flicked his gaze almost guiltily towards Sirius. "I just…"

"I get it," Isabel sighed. "You fellas are always sticking together and bugger to everyone else."

"Hey!" James snapped. "That's not fair, Whitman. You know I love Dawn like family, but I'm stuck in the middle here. I don't know what to do, ok?"

"Ok," Isabel relented. She had to admit she understood James' predicament, Remus had expressed exactly the same dilemma to her over lunch. "I'll take care of her, James. You go, do the blokey thing. And tell Remus I'll see him later."

"Sure. Thanks, Isabel," James said with a faint smile.

Isabel nodded, then rushed off to catch up with Dawn and Lily. The girls went to the dorms before dinner to organise their homework for the night. While Lily and Isabel carefully set out all their nights' assignments and planned the order in which they would tackle them after they had eaten, Dawn flopped on her bed and worked on her impersonation of a corpse.

After a while, Candice and Michelle came into the dorm. They were whispering animatedly between each other but when they looked up and saw Dawn, they piped down at once. As they put their bags down, they were giggling silently and Lily turned a full blast glare in their direction. Dawn, however, didn't see why she should even care what everyone thought of Hogwarts' most famous break-up. The whole school had been whispering as if she couldn't hear them all day, so what if her own dorm-mates wanted to join the fun?

"Come on Dawn, Is," Lily said pointedly. "It's time for dinner."

Dawn opened her mouth to announce she wasn't hungry. Lily arched an eyebrow and pulled out her wand. Dawn got up and moved obediently towards the door. Lily smiled sweetly. Dawn managed to eat a decent amount of baked chicken and without too much trouble they soon found themselves back in the Common Room with their books spread over one of the tables.

At first, Isabel had been impressed with Dawn's level of concentration. Her quill had barely stopped moving since she had sat down. Then she looked over the brunette's shoulder to see what essay she was working on only to see the parchment covered in two initials scribbled over and over.

_SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB..._

"No." Isabel snatched the parchment from beneath Dawn's quill, leaving messy streaks all over it. "I know you're upset and it's gonna take some time for you to be ok with everything, but I refuse to let you wallow like this!"

The parchment was crumpled up and tossed straight into the fire. The quiet study continued, Dawn actually studying this time, until four raucously loud boys claimed the table next to them and set up a game of Exploding Snap.

Dawn lasted about five minutes under the strain of Sirius' loud laughter, forced-sounding even to her ears. James was trying to grin along with his best friend without letting Dawn see, while Remus just cast pitying glances around at all of them. Peter kept looking back and forth between Dawn and Sirius, torn between emotions. He did hate to see two of the very short list of people who'd ever given him the time of day hurting, but every now and then satisfaction swelled within him before he could squash it away. Dawn was single, free again, and it wasn't his fault. A part of him knew it was wrong, but an even greater part of him felt validated that Sirius, too, could be rejected. It wasn't just him, Dawn hadn't wanted Sirius, either. Sirius didn't always just automatically get whatever girl he wanted.

It was when Sirius began debating aloud which of the Hufflepuffs he'd been flirting with that day was prettier that Dawn finally broke. She gathered her things and stood abruptly.

"I just remembered… book… Library," she muttered wildly.

"We'll come with," Isabel offered, shooting a disappointed glance at the table beside them.

"No! No, I'm fine. I just need to…" she left without finishing her sentence.

"Padfoot," Remus chided quietly.

Sirius glowered at him. "Whose side are you on?"

"Just… show a little class, mate."

Dawn spent the night sitting in the Library with a book propped open in front of her. Sirius' horrible laughter rang through her ears and his wicked grin teased her everywhere she looked.

"Well, we'll see who's sorry now little girl."

Dawn blinked. "Huh?"

"I said it's ten to nine, dear," Madam Pince said kindly. She wished she had more students who could be so quiet in her Library. "You'd best be off or Mr Filch will catch you out after curfew. No, no, I'll put the book back for you."

"Thanks," Dawn murmured, and drifted from the Library as listlessly as a ghost.

She wandered along through the castle in a daze, brushing by objects and people without even seeing them. She carried on until she brushed by something that didn't appreciate the lack of notice.

"We're watching you," a voice hissed.

Dawn whipped about, suddenly alert. "Oh. It's you."

Lucius Malfoy just smirked at her. "Alone again, little Mudblood? Well, you know a man can only roll in the dirt for so long."

"Can't you come up with any new insults, at least?" Dawn snapped. "Yeah, I'm a Mudblood, so what? You're all so wrapped up in telling me what a disgusting piece of trash I am and not one of you inbred purebloods can come up with a single good reason to explain what's so wrong with my blood."

"Inferiority never does seem to recognise itself," Malfoy sneered.

Dawn arched an eyebrow and looked the Slytherin up and down. "No kidding."

"Why you little…" Malfoy raised a hand, but Dawn jumped back and pulled out her wand and he remembered himself. "You're playing a dangerous game, Summers."

"So they keep telling me," Dawn snorted, beyond caring. Malfoy knew as well as she did that Dumbledore had his eye on them both. Sometimes, if Dawn concentrated hard enough, she could almost feel it. As long as she was at Hogwarts, she couldn't be touched. It was the second safest place after a Slayer's arms. She turned and stomped away without another word.

* * *

"What is it with you snakes?" Dawn huffed.

After Lucius had tried (and failed) to put her in her place for daring to do what they'd all wanted in the first place and breaking up with Sirius, all the rest had had a go at some point. Narcissa had hissed a few choice words at her, but Dawn had brushed her off. Regulus and Rodolphus Lestrange had tried to corner her in a deserted hallway. Dawn had yelled back, and just as Regulus looked on the verge of forgetting himself and slapping her (or attempting to), Dawn had found an ally in the form of Peeves drifting by. Having never seen a more delightfully mischievous group pass through the secret passages of Hogwarts than the Marauders, Peeves was more than willing to lend Dawn a hand.

The poltergeist had slammed two helmets from the suits of armour lining the halls over Regulus and Rodolphus' heads, pulled the visors down, and clanged their heads together. The Slytherins fell over, Dawn burst out laughing for the first time in days, thanked Peeves, and then fled the scene.

The other Slytherin to try and rough her up so far had been Severus Snape. He'd knocked into her outside the Great Hall, but being whispered about constantly while going through one of the most painful experiences of her life (after losing her mother) had taken its toll on Dawn's patience levels. Snape was never really sure what had happened, but one moment he'd been barging into Dawn's shoulder, and the next he'd been on his butt on the floor with a lot of people laughing at him. Now the moment Dawn had been dreading most had arrived; it was Bellatrix's turn to have a go at her.

Bellatrix glared at her through heavy-lidded eyes as she answered Dawn's sarcastic question. "It's something vermin like you wouldn't understand. It's called pride."

"And here I was mistaking it for arrogance," Dawn retorted. She moved to continue on her path, but Bellatrix blocked her.

She grabbed Dawn's arms and threw her back a couple of steps. Shocked, Dawn fell silent. That was the first time Sirius' cousin had done more than insult or threaten to hex her, she was usually above the baseness of physical contact. Dawn hadn't known there was so much force behind the other girl, for the first time she recognised that she truly was a threat.

"Who do you think you're speaking to?" Bellatrix said waspishly. "You're the arrogant one, daring to ally yourself with someone from such a respectable family."

Bellatrix paused, savouring the taste of her torment. Dawn glared stonily and silently told herself that she knew better than to take anything a Slytherin hissed at her to heart. While the two girls were in their deadlock, another couple of figures came into the hallway.

Sirius and Remus, Honeydukes chocolate bars in hand, stopped short as their eyes fell on the scene. With a gleeful smile, Bellatrix decided it was time to take another verbal swing.

"I don't know why you even tried. You're just a simpering little Mudblood and you were never good enough for him."

The words cut Dawn deeper than she's suspected, but she tried not to let it show. She tossed her hair back over her shoulder, buying herself some time and hoping the gesture looked careless.

"Ok, so are you a hypocrite or just not real bright?" she wondered aloud. "Last I heard, according to you he was nothing but a worthless blood-traitor and the sooner he was disinherited and dismembered, the better."

A truly witch-like cackle burst from Bellatrix. "That's all still true, you stupid little whore. And yet he's still a thousand times too good for you. I can see it in your eyes, Summers, you know you'd never e good enough for him."

"You're wrong," Dawn said, but she was wavering.

Remus shot Sirius a look. They still hadn't been noticed. "We've got to put a stop to this," he muttered.

Sirius looked at Remus, then back at Dawn and Bellatrix. Dawn had been holding her own against the much more intimidating witch, but Sirius could see that she was losing ground. His gut instinct was still to swoop in and rescue her. To banish his foul cousin with a hex and hold Dawn close to tell her not to listen to a word the hag had said. But Dawn had been the one to put a right stop to all that emotional nonsense. It was her own doing, so she could deal with the fallout herself.

Sirius caught Remus' eye, but his own gaze gave nothing away. "Not my place anymore, Moony. Not my problem."

He walked away.

Remus let out a gruff, frustrated noise.

"You know I'm not wrong," Bellatrix snapped. "If you were good enough, you would've been able to handle him. That's right, little Mudblood- it's no secret. Everybody knows you climbed into his bed, and then realised you had no business being there so you slipped back out of there and ran."

"Shut up," Dawn said weakly. Remus watched, aching, as the dignified resolve with which Dawn had met the challenge each new Slytherin had thrown at her crumbled once and for all. She began to tremble as Bellatrix moved in for the kill.

"If you were good enough, he wouldn't be out right now looking for a new shag toy."

"Enough," a growling voice interceded. Remus had materialised at Dawn's shoulder, his wand levelled at Bellatrix's chest. "Leave, or I'll have points taken."

"You can't do that!" the Slytherin boomed. "Prefects don't have the power to take points!"

"All it takes is one word to McGonagall about you attacking students in the halls," Remus boomed back, the animal edge in his voice making it much more unsettling than Bellatrix's. "So I suggest you get out of here right now, you skanky hag!"

With a scowl, Bellatrix left at last and Remus turned his focus onto Dawn. Her shoulders were shaking and deep, hiccoughing sobs were now bubbling from her throat. He reached out to rub her arms.

"Come on, Kitten. You know better than to listen to any of the drivel coming from her mouth. I think the generations of intermarriage are finally catching up with people like her."

Dawn coughed.

"You've been doing so well, don't give them the satisfaction of making you cry now," Remus continued.

"I can't help it," Dawn wheezed, trying but not yet succeeding in pulling herself together. "I don't know why, but something about her just keeps getting to me no matter what I do. It's like, whatever my Achilles heel is, she knows exactly how to find it every time."

"I know, Dawn. It's what she does best," Remus said and hugged her briefly. "Just try to remember you've got friends who care about you, and we think she's full of crap and you should care more about our opinions than hers."

Dawn looked up, wiped her face, and smiled. "Is it my imagination, or did you just call Bellatrix Black a skanky hag?"

Remus opened him mouth, then paused. "I believe I did."

"Good insult," Dawn said with a little giggle.

"You liked it? It was my first," Remus responded with a shy, sheepish smile.

Dawn looked him over. "Hey, is that a Honeydukes candy bar I see?" she asked, pointing at his pocket.

Rolling his eyes, Remus pulled it out and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Dawn said, tearing into it without hesitation.

"What is it with women and chocolate?" he asked, checking his other pocket to be sure he had reserves for Isabel.

Dawn shrugged, taking another large bite and speaking around her mouthful. "There is no problem that can't be solved by chocolate."

"Oh."

* * *

Sirius leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He didn't know what he was doing, but he felt wrong, waiting outside the Hufflepuff portrait for a girl who wasn't Dawn. A sort of numbness, a trance had befallen him since that night in the Common Room, and he just couldn't find anything to make himself feel real again.

He'd snuck out to the Hog's Head, and had been thankful the morning after that James had come and dragged him back to the castle before things had got too out of hand. If he'd really said half the things he remembered saying to the pub's questionable patrons, then it was sheer blind luck that all he'd ended up with the next day was a splitting headache and a hangover. He did remember Mundungus Fletcher teaching him a thing or two about some shot called a Cowboy, though.

After that night, Sirius had tried a hundred more quieter, but equally ineffective remedies to fix the heart he refused to admit was broken. Now he was down to his last resort, a return to the theory he'd lived by before Dawn had come along and unravelled his world piece by piece: Girls were a sickle a dozen, why waste his energy with the same one all the time?

With that thought, Sirius straightened up as if he was ready for his date. Then he thought of Dawn, and how innocently lovely she had been on their first date, and he almost ran away. Almost wanted to escape to be spared the torture of an experience he already knew was never going to compare.

Before he could decide whether he was going to stay or go, the Hufflepuff portrait was opened and a pretty little blond was stepping out to meet him. She looked up and smiled, and the player in Sirius grinned right back.

"Hello Sirius," she blushed.

"Hello Lacey. Shall we?" he asked, holding out a hand.

She giggled and grabbed a hold of the outstretched hand and Sirius began to lead her through the castle without any fixed direction in mind.

"Where are we going?" Lacey asked after a few minutes had passed.

Sirius shrugged. "I just thought we might take a walk. You know, talk and get to know each other a bit better," he said.

"Ok," she replied enthusiastically.

She began to chatter away while Sirius vaguely listened and replied only sporadically. Lacey didn't seem to mind, most of her conversation rarely required a response anyway. Their wanderings took them down to the second floor after a while, to where the castle was all but deserted. Sirius stopped them and waited patiently for Lacey to finish her sentence.

"I just wanted to say that you look really great tonight," he said, his voice turning a shade husky.

Lacey was pleased into silence by the compliment. She smiled, reminding Sirius that there were other pretty girls in the world. He took a deep breath, willed himself not to listen to his protesting heart, and kissed her without letting himself thing about it.

It felt strange and foreign and not completely right. But it was the closest Sirius had come to comfort since he could remember so he just kept doing it. Lacey was an eager little thing, too. She was responsive and challenging, not as gentle as he had become accustomed to and Sirius didn't feel the need to be too gentle himself as her arms locked about his neck, drawing him closer. As the kiss progressed, Sirius began to lose track of the outside world. He didn't hear the footsteps rounding the corner, or the horrified gasp, or the echoing thud of a dropped schoolbag against the floor.

Dawn's hand hastily covered her mouth and she dry-reached in disgust. Still, Sirius was so busy backing the little Hufflepuff up against the wall he didn't even register that his ex-girlfriend's heart was shattering only a few paces away. Dawn was burning with humiliation. She didn't know what was worse; seeing the boy who'd looked almost sick when they broke up back to playing the field within a week, or the fact that he neither noticed nor cared that she was seeing it first-hand.

Numbly, Dawn bent down to pick up her bag. Then she was running for her life. By the time she burst into the second floor girls' bathroom, the tears were raining down her face once again. she slid down the cool tiles to the floor and cried until she thought she'd run out of tears.

"Why are you crying?"

Dawn looked up and jumped in fright. Then she relaxed. It was only Moaning Myrtle, the whining ghost she'd met by accident once when she'd wandered into this bathroom. Dawn had forgotten she was even here. Myrtle was looking at her messy face with deep curiosity. Dawn knew it was weird to confide in a ghost, but she had to talk to someone and Remus had taken Isabel to a private dinner in the Kitchens.

"I b-broke up with my boyf-friend last week and I j-just saw him k-k-kissing another girl," she wailed.

Myrtle pouted in sympathy, but her ghostly eyes gleamed with interest. "Was she a Hufflepuff?"

Dawn abandoned her search for a tissue and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. She nodded. "How did you know?"

"It's _always_ a Hufflepuff."

"Oh. Great," Dawn muttered sarcastically.

Myrtle hovered a little closer, as if she wanted to sit by Dawn but couldn't. "Was he your first boyfriend? How long had you been going out?"

"Yeah, he was," Dawn admitted, leaning her head back against the tiled wall and staring out the high window opposite them. "And we'd been together since November. November the eighteenth, to be exact."

Myrtle blinked. One thing she'd learned from both her life and her afterlife was that if a girl had an exact date for a relationship, she was heavily serious about it. "Oh."

"Yeah," Dawn said.

"I see girls come in her crying a bit you know," the ghost said suddenly. "But they never usually talk to me. They just wash their faces and run out again when I pop out of the U-bend," she pouted.

"Well, I'm talking to you," Dawn said. then realisation dawned over her features. "Oh. U-bend. Eew."

A strange squealing sound, like a mewing feral cat escaped Myrtle. "You don't like me now, do you?" she asked, shiny, pearly tears falling down her greyish cheeks.

"I never said that! Don't cry," Dawn said, holding her hands up in a peace gesture. "I don't not like you. You've been real great to talk to tonight."

Myrtle pulled her hands away from her face. "Really?"

"Yeah, sure," Dawn shrugged.

"Will you come and talk to me again?" she asked, watching Dawn shrewdly for her response.

"Uh, sure. Why not?"

Myrtle beamed and Dawn got to her feet. "Well I'd better be going now. See you later."

"Bye!" Myrtle waved enthusiastically, not realising that Dawn was getting away without even letting the ghost know her name.

The Gryffindor shouldered her bag and stepped out of the bathroom. And ran right into Filch, out prowling the halls for unsuspecting students to prey on.

"Ah!" the caretaker snapped, though he looked rather pleased with himself. "Out after curfew, eh? Detention!"

Dawn closed her eyes and exhaled loudly through her nose.

* * *

End Chapter… something interesting will happen now, I swear! XX00 


	26. Farther Down

**Disclaimer:**Owning nought. Not the Harry Potter stuff (that's JK Rowling's). Not the Buffy stuff (that's Joss Whedon's). And not 'Farther Down' (that's Matthew Sweet's, found on the 'Can't Hardly Wait' soundtrack, FYI!).

**Reviewers:**

**Sonofgloin:**Sometimes I think you're trying to provoke me! XX

**PomegranateQueen:** You rock with the full-on devotion in many ways. Please feel free to let that shit keep right on coming, I love verbal runs in review form!!

**Saxifrage:**Your short review was still mad-long anyway, so no need to apologise! Yay for you picking up on the Bellatrix subtext, I didn't think it was going to come out enough. And you wanted it longer- dude it was like 30 pages written! Sorry- this one was only 26, but hopefully worth it. Hope the homework mountain is dwindling! XX

**Eyexcandy: **I love making you hate me- it's so much fun. And did I not promise that I'd update soon?

**Luckyshamrock:**I heart Remus too. Can you teach me the dance of it? I do have things planned, I promise you that!

**Elle Blessingway:**I updated cruel & unusual, did ya see? I'm glad you appreciate the lack of daisies & roses at the present, I love flowery stories too but life is full of its downs as well as ups. Thanks for the encouragement for the James/Lily exclusive idea, too. I'd like to try it one day, even if it was just a one-shot or something. And don't worry- you can never leave a too-long review in my book.

**The Lady Morgaine: **You made it & are still reading! Cool! I've had a lot of requests for the Scoobies to pop up, and I'm still not 100 sure on if it will even happen, but it is a definite possibility so if you keep your fingers crossed you just might see it. As for the Lily/James action, bear in mind that in the HP series it's noted they don't get together until 7th year & I plan to stick by that. That isn't to say there won't be plenty of other situations for them to work through in the meantime! Was a cool idea of yours about Lily, though. Thanks for sticking with it.

**T.S.**: Thank you, I'm flattered you love my story. Here's what happens next, so you don't have to wait anymore…

**Damia:** I hope you're still reading by this stage. Wrote more as soon as I could!

**Hikari Kage Shi:**Thank you! And that's a really good idea you had about Dawn dealing with her grief! I would never have thought of that one myself!

**Sammi89:** That was lucky – got your review just as I was coming online to update! Thank you, and I can only say wait and see what the future brings with Sirius and Dawn. Glad you're enjoying- and hey you _definitely _didn't have to wait too long for an update!!

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

**Farther Down**

Dawn began disappearing a lot after Sirius started to date different girls with reckless abandon. There were times when she'd return to the Common Room with eyes rimmed red from crying, and there were times she returned looking relaxed and almost at peace. Remus frowned over at her as she arrived back from yet another disappearing act.

"Where have you been going, Dawn?" he asked, regarding her with concerned curiosity.

Dawn just shrugged. "Nowhere important, Rem."

But Remus wasn't satisfied. "Well, are you ok, Dawn? You're not doing anything dangerous, are you? I don't want to see you get yourself hurt."

"I'm ok. I'm just… trying to get on top of things," she said, slightly evasive but laying a grateful hand on Remus' arm. "You don't need to worry about me."

"You're kidding, right?" Remus snorted. "I could write an encyclopaedia of all the times you've been in some sort of trouble."

Dawn rolled her eyes. Not long after that, though, she was slinking away from her friends again. if he didn't know Dawn too well to even consider it, Remus would think that she was dating someone new in secret. Isabel was watching her boyfriend's face quietly.

"Go after her if you're worried," she said, after several minutes had ticked by with Remus still preoccupied.

He looked back at her. "You sure you don't mind?"

"You're worried. You should go," Isabel reiterated.

Remus thought a moment. He'd need the Marauder's Map if he had any chance of finding Dawn now. "Thanks, love. I've just got to grab something from my dorm."

He kissed Isabel warmly, cupped her cheek and then ran to get the Map. He located Dawn's little Kitten marker in the second floor bathroom and set off at once. He didn't hesitate when he reached the girls' bathroom; it was widely known that girls avoided Moaning Myrtle's haunt like the plague.

He stepped in and took in the display. Dawn was curled on the little tile step, chatting away to the ghost as if they were old friends. He leaned against the wall and listened as Dawn explained to Myrtle the dynamics of her relationship with the Marauders, and how precarious it had become since she'd upset the balance.

"It'll settle down in time," he said quietly.

Dawn and Myrtle started at the addition to their conversation and whipped around to glance at Remus. He waved sheepishly.

"Hi. Just thought I'd drop by."

Dawn grinned, but a silvery blush had crept over Myrtle's translucent cheeks. She recognised Remus from her forays into the pipes of the Prefects' Bathroom. Dawn noticed Myrtle's strangeness and her grin deepened a notch in understanding.

"Hey Remus, have you met Myrtle?" she asked brightly. "Well, this is Myrtle and she hangs out here a lot. Myrtle, this is Remus Lupin if you didn't know."

The ghost and the werewolf exchanged pleasantries, then he took a seat on the step across from Dawn and looked at the girl.

"This is where you've been spending all your time?" he asked, eyebrows arched.

Dawn confirmed it with a crisp nod. "I like it here."

"Do you mind if I stay, too?" he asked gently, not sure if he was encroaching on her personal space but all the same not wanting to leave her with only a dead whinger as a companion.

Dawn smiled a rare genuine smile. "Of course not. It'll be fun if you hang with us."

It took a little while for Myrtle to become accustomed to the added presence of a boy who actually knew and acknowledged that she was there. But by the time curfew was approaching, she and Remus had warmed to each other a great deal. The living students waved goodbye to the deceased one and started for Gryffindor tower before Filch could get a hold of them. Dawn shuddered at the mere thought of the three hours she'd spent sorting various corporal punishment forms in his mouldy little office.

"That was surprisingly enjoyable," Remus admitted.

"I know. I couldn't wait to get out of there the first time I wandered in, but then I went in by accident last week and it was all good," Dawn explained. "Lion's Den."

Remus grinned over at Dawn and stepped back to let her through the opening. Isabel and Lily looked up when they joined them.

"Well? Where have you been, then?"

The two friends just smiled and shook their heads. "You'll have to tag along sometime to find out," Dawn said mysteriously.

The Common Room admitted two more at that moment, Candice and Michelle gossiping happily. They sat down a little ways from the other fifth years, wrapped up in their own discussion and not noticing that the whole Common Room was listening in.

"Well he took Lacey Barrett out last week," Michelle said. "And there was that couple of days he was hanging around with Annabel Diggory… not that Amos was too impressed with him for going after his little sister."

Remus, Isabel and Lily all blanched and did not dare to look at Dawn's face. It was painfully clear, but the three still hoped that by some miracle Dawn hadn't worked out exactly whose newly rediscovered promiscuity her dorm-mates were discussing. Even though the rest of the Common Room had figured it out and were all counting the seconds until Dawn reacted.

"Uh-huh," Candice agreed. "Anyway, I was talking to Bertha Jorkins the other day, and she said she saw Sirius making friends with practically all the seventh-year Ravenclaw girls," she announced to more people than she realised.

"Poor Dawn," Michelle sighed.

Dawn angled her face so only her friends could see her anguish, yawned with boredom loud enough to be sure her audience got it, and pulled open a book to distract herself with. She pulled it up to cover her face, and the little tear trickling down her cheek.

Michelle and Candice turned at the sound of Dawn's yawn, clapped their hands over their faces once they realised how big their mouths had got, and turned away in embarrassment.

* * *

In no time at all, Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was the new hangout of choice for a handful of fifth year Gryffindors. When they'd hit that corridor for the first time, Lily and Isabel had been shocked and even a little horrified at the prospect of willingly approaching that bathroom. In their first year they'd both sworn an oath that is the situation was so dire that they'd either use Myrtle's bathroom or wet themselves trying to reach the next, they'd risk the humiliation. But just like Remus, they soon learned to accept Myrtle as she was and the five of them always enjoyed the time they spent together. 

They'd even taken to spreading their homework over the tiles, rationalising that it was a much more productive work area than a stuffy Library or an overcrowded Common Room. Having had nothing better to do for at least two decades but to whine and learn, the ghost always had a helpful fact or two to add to their essays.

"Remus, doesn't it bother you?" she asked in a voice that would never really lose its whining tendency.

Fiddling absently with his quill while he proof-read Isabel's Arithmancy work, Remus glanced up questioningly. "Hmm? Doesn't what bother me?"

"This," Myrtle waved her hand around. "Hanging about in a girls' bathroom with a group of girls."

Remus shrugged. "No, I'm ok. The company is good, so why worry about the setting? I like the quiet anyway."

Isabel smiled, pleased he was managing to spend time with his girlfriend, her friends, and a good friend of his in pain and he was enjoying it. and he still made time for just her. She curled her hand around his arm and leaned against his shoulder.

Dawn and Lily shared a look and a smile over the cosiness of the couple. At first, Dawn had felt a twinge in her stomach every time she saw her friends, or any couple really, sharing a moment of tenderness, but she'd come through that stage by now.

"So this is where all the good girls have gone. Moony, you old dog!" a voice said, and a burst of laughter echoed through the bathroom.

Myrtle squealed in alarm and shot into the nearest cubicle. James and Peter stood framed in the doorway, Peter hastily slipping a square of folded parchment into his pocket. Lily rolled her eyes as the boys invited themselves in and sat down with the group.

"It's ok, Myrtle," Dawn called out. "You can come out."

Myrtle was a little bit apprehensive as she floated through the cubicle door and regarded James and Peter.

"Guys, this is Myrtle. Myrtle, that's just James and Peter, our friends," Dawn introduced, pointing at each boy as she named him.

"Hello," Myrtle said shyly, drifting back towards the group.

"So what brings you two down here?" Remus asked, grinning and nodding at Isabel as he handed her work back.

"Boredom," James shrugged. ""It's been dead dull in the Common Room lately. Why have you lot decided to hang out here all of a sudden?"

Dawn grinned at Myrtle. "We just like it here, James. It's a cool hangout."

He looked around, sizing it up. "Yeah, I s'pose it is."

Lily had immersed herself in the nearest book the moment James had sat across from her. She could feel his gaze skimming the crowd, often pausing on her, but she refused to meet his stare. He hadn't spoken to her since their argument in the Common Room and she had decided to just enjoy the peace while it lasted.

The others began to talk; there had been another wave of attacks from Voldemort's Death Eaters, and a couple of Hogwarts' Governors had been targeted. Apparently Voldemort wanted them tortured for information.

"All I know is Mum's last letter said Dad's working overtime again," James said unhappily. "Poor bloke is doing surveillance for the Ministry's top officials, hasn't had a home cooked meal in about a week."

Dawn patted his hand sympathetically. A sombre mood had settled over the haunted bathroom, even Lily had stopped paying so much attention to her book.

"I just don't get it," Dawn sighed. "How can someone be so evil, and still technically be human?"

"I'd say he's pushing the boundaries of humanity," Remus said, a foul look in his face. "I mean, the _Daily Prophet_ says he's looking for new ways to cheat mortality."

"Let's just hope he doesn't get his hands on that Elixir of Life I read about in one of the extra Potions textbooks," Lily murmured, rejoining the conversation at last.

"I'd say the greater danger is him actually finding that 'key to great power' the _Prophet_ was on about," Isabel said. "There's a rumour that he thinks it's at Hogwarts, which is why those poor Governors have been targeted."

Peter turned to look at Dawn, his mouth already opening to ask if she was worried about being discovered as the Key.

"So Voldemort's definitely human then?" Dawn said loudly to pave right over anything Peter was about to let slip. "It just doesn't seem possible to me."

All it took to get Peter to squeak once, then shut up, was mentioning Voldemort by name. Remus and James were used to hearing it by now, and were working on saying it themselves without the stutter, but Lily and Isabel had both gasped loudly. Dawn just shrugged at them, not about to get into another great name debate.

"Oh, he was definitely human," Myrtle piped up suddenly. "I went to school with Tom Riddle."

"Tom Riddle?" Dawn frowned.

"His name before becoming Vol-Voldemort," James said, proud to have at least gone past the 'V' without stuttering this time.

"Oh. Ok then," Dawn said, smiling at him with pride. Then she turned back to Myrtle. "Did you know him well?"

Myrtle shook her head. "Not really. He made fun of a spot on my nose once, he was always being horrible when no Professors were looking. Professor Dumbledore didn't seem to like him much though, and Dumbledore likes everybody!"

"Not everybody," Dawn muttered darkly, thinking of Malfoy. A moment later she was back to interrogating Myrtle. Demons were same old, same old to her, but the thought of someone willingly becoming a monster intrigued her as much as it frightened her. "So was Voldemort evil when he left Hogwarts?"

"No," Myrtle said slowly. "Not really. But he was on the way. it was only a few years after Tom Riddle graduated that Lord Voldemort rose."

"Hey, how come she's not afraid to say that?" Peter whined. "It's not fair."

James, Lily and Isabel rolled their eyes while Remus patiently explained it to Peter. "Wormtail, Myrtle is a ghost. She's already… passed on," he said, glancing gingerly at the dead girl in question.

"Yeah? And…?"

"Well then what reason has she got to fear death at V-Voldemort's hands for saying his name?"

"Oh. Now I get it," Peter said happily.

"Can we move on then?" Dawn asked impatiently. "What else can you tell us about him, Myrtle?"

"I don't know," the ghost said absently, thinking. "He was very bright- topped most of his classes. He was a Slytherin, too, and in his sixth year when I died," she recalled.

"How _did_ you d-oof," James' voice was suddenly cut off as Dawn drove her elbow into his side.

"You can't ask something like that," Dawn hissed.

James shrugged. He couldn't see why not, but he let it drop anyway. Dawn had bony elbows.

"It's late," Lily said decisively, looking at her watch. "We should get back to the tower before curfew. Filch has been waiting for us the last couple of nights, it's like we're ruining his whole day when we leave before he can give us detention."

Dawn snickered. "He's such a jerk. He catches me out once on a lucky break and he thinks he's proven my delinquency once and for all."

"Kitten, honey," James grinned. "You can't be my sister and _not_ be kind of a delinquent."

"Good point," Dawn sighed, beginning to pack her books up. "Maybe it's a good thing Filch caught me before I started the crime ring then."

"Because then there wouldn't have been room in this castle for the both of us," James said seriously.

Pausing a moment, Dawn smiled slightly up at James. She didn't know what she would've done over the past couple of weeks if he'd completely turned his back on her. She knew that James' loyalties edged slightly towards Sirius, especially considering it had been her doing that they'd split up, but she loved him for the way he occasionally chose to put her first.

"So do you guys approve of our new hangout?" Remus asked drolly as they hefted their bags up.

James nodded thoughtfully. "I foresee many a good prank being plotted here. Provided Myrtle knows how to hold her tongue," he added.

He glanced at Myrtle to gauge her levels of compliance with the Marauder brand of mayhem, and she nodded seriously.

"I could flood this hallway for you, if you like,' she offered shyly.

"Wicked," James said, grinning.

"You know," Peter piped up. "I think I like it down here, too. The Common Room is so boring when Padfoot's out on dates."

James flinched slightly and refused to look at Dawn. Lily's hand flew up, but Isabel intercepted it before she could slap Peter for his tactless statement. Both of the girls were glaring at him rather meanly, though. Remus cleared his throat nervously.

"Right then, we all ready? See you later, Myrtle," he said, pulling the door open.

"Bye," the others all chorused as they headed out the door.

Dawn found herself walking next to James. She pushed away Peter's words that were ringing through her ears painfully, and glanced over at the messy-haired boy.

"I'm kinda curious to know how she died, too," she mumbled.

* * *

"Hey Hagrid. It's been a while," Dawn said, smiling timidly as she stood on his doorstep. 

"Dawn!" Hagrid boomed. "Lovely ter see yer, come on in. Walnut scone? Something ter drink then?"

"Just something cold please," Dawn said, stepping into the cabin. "I'm really not hungry."

The moment she was over the threshold, she was set upon by something massive and slobbering. She patted it enthusiastically.

"Hey Fang. Howya doing, boy?"

He barked in greeting. Dawn pushed him aside after a few minutes of indulging him and took her seat at the table. Hagrid handed her a tall glass of some sort of juice and took his seat across from her. Fang laid his head in her lap and she scratched him behind the ears on reflex.

"I heard abou' what happened," Hagrid said, his voice far too gentle for his stature. "Are yer really ok, Dawn?"

Dawn nodded. She'd been through this conversation so many times by now that she could follow the script without actually thinking about it. Which was helpful, considering the numbness that had a tendency to overtake her whenever she was pushed into talking about Sirius.

"I'm really ok, Hagrid," she said automatically. "I've been through worse, I'm sure I'll live."

Hagrid smiled. "I'm glad tha' yer came ter talk to me."

"So am I."

The Key and the half-giant shared a relaxed grin, letting the moment pass in peace. Dawn took another sip of her drink. They made small talk for a little while, Hagrid telling Dawn all about the swarm of Hinkypunks he'd found breeding in a secluded cove of the lake.

"Were they hard to move?" Dawn asked.

"Nah," Hagrid waved a dustbin-lid-sized hand. "I jus' put a bit o' mud in a crate, the little blighters crawled righ' on in. sent the crate on to Loch Ness, Hinkypunks like it up there."

Dawn wrinkled her nose. "Doesn't the Loch Ness Monster eat them?"

Hagrid gave her a funny look. "Dawn, yer know that's jus' a legend, right?"

"Oh. Of course," Dawn said, looking disappointed. "It was just a joke."

Hagrid started to laugh. "I'm only joking, Dawn. Loch Ness Monster don't like Hinkypunks, finds 'em too stringy."

"Oh," Dawn said, wondering if he was still making fun of her.

He winked.

"I really should get going," Dawn sighed a little while later, when her glass was empty and Fang's dog slobber had soaked right through her skirt to her leg. A part of her didn't want to leave, but to hide out here in the friendly simplicity forever. She couldn't even recall a time when her life had been simple, and she was starting to long for it deep in her soul.

"Well, thanks for stopping by," Hagrid said as they both stood.

On impulse, Dawn threw her arms around as much of his middle as she could reach and hugged for all she was worth. Hagrid stopped in surprise for a moment, then patted her back with enough force to knock the wind out of her.

"Come back soon, now," Hagrid said in a rumbly soft voice.

They broke apart and ambled over to the door. Hagrid reached across and pulled it open for Dawn. Someone standing on the doorstep, fist poised for knocking, jumped back in alarm. Dawn, already moving to step through the opening, pulled up short.

"Hi," she said automatically.

The figure on the doorstep arched an eyebrow. "Hi."

Hagrid smiled as best he could manage. "Hello, Sirius," he boomed, his voice becoming louder in an attempt to control the awkward situation.

Sirius and Dawn stared at each other, trapped. They still shared classes, and a Common Room, and a table in the Great Hall, but they'd done a good job so far of avoiding each other at all costs. Hagrid fell into silence as the two teens stayed frozen in time.

Dawn looked away from the blue eyes that had shuttered themselves to her and lowered her gaze to Sirius' neck. She hastily masked a flinch. There was an oily smudge on his collar; pink lip gloss.

"I was just leaving," she rushed out, horrified at everything all of a sudden.

Sirius stepped aside to let her pass, but Dawn had stepped in the same direction at exactly the same moment. Then they both stepped back the other way at the same time. It was so perfectly synchronised that it was almost a dance. They stepped from side to side together a couple more times, until finally Dawn spied an opening wide enough for her to bolt through.

Fang's forlorn farewell barks chased after Dawn, but she did not dare look back. She ran up the stones that served as a patchwork pavement to the castle, knowing that the strange fluttering in her heart had nothing to do with the exercise.

Sirius forced himself not to turn around and watch Dawn flee. He was through showing his weaknesses for her. She'd coaxed him into that, said he could trust her with anything. And then she'd taken the heart that he'd never shown anyone before and stomped it into nothing. He wasn't about to let that happen again. He looked up at Hagrid, trademark devilish grin present but completely empty. Hagrid engulfed his shoulder with his hand and pulled him inside.

"Come on, Sirius. Let's have a cuppa, eh?"

"Yeah," Sirius muttered, wishing for something stronger than tea. Like maybe a permanent 'Obliviate' charm for his whole fifth year. "Great, Hagrid. I could use a cuppa."

* * *

"Dawn," Lily said urgently, shaking Dawn's shoulder. "Dawn, wake up. Please, I need your help." 

Dawn blearily opened her eyes to see a panic-stricken Lily leaning over her. She groggily pushed herself up, fearing the worst.

"I can't decide what to wear," Lily whispered frantically.

"I thought we decided on the black pants and the emerald top," Dawn yawned, trying to roll over already.

"But now I'm not sure," Lily replied. "Please, Dawn," she begged.

Grumbling, Dawn glanced at the clock. "Lily, it's five-thirty!"

"Oh no! Already?" the Prefect gasped. "I'm supposed to be meeting Chase at nine!"

Realising that her chances of getting Lily to go back to bed for another couple of hours were slim to none, Dawn pushed herself up fully and rolled out of bed. Lily gave her a strained, but grateful smile. Isabel was already sitting amidst a mountain of Lily's clothing in her nightie, looking just a little put out.

"I still say the green top, Lils," she said, fighting to keep her eyelids from drooping. "It's the prettiest one you have, and it brings out your eyes."

Dawn nodded enthusiastically. "I agree. Problem solved, let's go back to bed now."

Lily frowned. "I don't have time for sleep, I've got to get ready. Are you sure this maroon top wouldn't look nicer?"

They went to breakfast at eight o'clock, Dawn was certain it had only taken so long because every time they made a decision about something, Lily would change her mind about five minutes later and they'd have to start again. First she'd wanted her hair up, then she wanted it down. Then the pink eye shadow was the wrong shade and the lipstick was entirely too dark for her face.

Dawn and Isabel were exhausted, and just a little on the crabby side when they finally stepped into the Great Hall, but they had to admit Lily looked great. Lily herself was almost too afraid to move in case she knocked a hair out of place. She wasn't game enough to have anything more than pumpkin juice for breakfast, in case she smudged the lipstick she wasn't quite used to wearing.

The Marauders walked in, three of them tossing a swift wave in Dawn and Isabel's direction, and sat down not too far away. While the rest were busy with their breakfast, James rested his head on his hand and stared at Lily, his eyes drinking her in. Dawn noticed the attention Lily was getting and smiled sadly. Seeing Lily with Chase was cutting James as deeply as she was cut whenever she spotted Sirius with some other girl.

For the first time since anyone could remember, James didn't take a single bite of breakfast. He just kept staring at Lily, his eyes clouding over hazily as he daydreamed about what it would be like to have her go to so much effort to look so beautiful for him. He scowled to himself. He knew this Chase git didn't deserve her, and if he upset her even once, James was going to hex the wanker stupid.

Breakfast ended soon, and with a quick touch-up Lily was skipping nervously off to meet Chase. A dark look settled over James' face as he watched Lily disappear. Dawn stood, but did not move off in any direction. She wasn't sure what to do. She knew Isabel planned on spending the day with Remus, but if all four Marauders were sticking together then she couldn't really join them.

"Maybe I should just go to the Library and borrow a good book," she mumbled to herself.

But while she was distracted with her own self-pity, Sirius had split with his friends and disappeared with one of the sixth year Gryffindors. James wandered over and tapped her shoulder.

"You ready to go, Kitten?"

He watched with sympathy as Dawn looked up, glanced around, and realised what Sirius' absence meant. She forced a smile as she nodded at him.

"Yeah, let's get going," she said to the group at large.

She walked in between James and Peter, with Remus and Isabel hand-in-hand behind them. They joined the lines of students waiting for Filch to mark their names off and soon enough they were wandering towards Hogsmeade with the crowd.

Dawn and Isabel spent the morning with the three Marauders, strolling along the main street and window-shopping while the boys discussed the odds of Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup with only one game remaining: Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw.

"Ooh, that's pretty," Isabel said, pointing out a shimmery golden-bronze material in the display window of the Dress Robes store.

Dawn leaned forwards to examine the display more closely. Remus leaned in close to whisper in Isabel's ear while no-one else was listening.

"You'd look great in that," he breathed.

Isabel flushed prettily. "You think?" she asked demurely, then she sighed. "My Mum will kill me if I spend another knut on dress robes I don't really need."

Remus smiled and pulled away. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up with you."

He disappeared into the store and emerged a few minutes later with a bag which he handed to Isabel without a word. She smiled and kissed him briefly to show her appreciation. Shortly before lunch, something red and over-energetic bounded up. Lily stopped in front of Dawn and Isabel and did a little twirl.

"Who wants to hear everything?"

"Who wants to go to Zonko's?" James countered immediately, shooting a pleading glance at his friends.

Dawn smiled at Lily, then glanced at James. She gave the redhead a quick hug. "I'm glad you had fun. Details and girly bonding later?"

Lily nodded. "Sure."

"I hope you took notes," Dawn whispered with a sly wink and Lily giggled.

By the time she had stepped back, Isabel had said her farewells and moved to head off with Lily. Dawn headed towards the joke shop with the boys, wondering if she should bother to try and comfort James. He was several paces ahead, stomping so hard his feet were leaving deep little imprints in the ground.

After almost an hour of retail therapy in the joke shop for James, they headed off for lunch in the Three Broomsticks. The afternoon was spent as lazily as the morning, Dawn and the boys wandering from shop to shop as they felt like it.

Slowly, as the sun started to sink lower in the sky, the streets of Hogsmeade began to empty. It was nearing the sunset curfew for the return to Hogwarts and the other students were beginning to drift back towards the castle. But the Marauders showed no signs of budging. Dawn shot them a look.

"So what's going on now?" she asked.

The boys all shifted uncomfortably, none quite able to meet her gaze. "We, er, sort of told Padfoot we'd have a butterbeer with him right about now," James said apologetically.

"Oh." Dawn's face fell. "Oh… well that's cool. I'll just head back to the castle, then."

Remus hesitated. "You sure, Kitten? One of us should walk you back- the sun's already set."

But Dawn was already backing away, her movements just a touch too jerky to be composed. "No, don't worry about me. I'll be fine- we're not exactly on a Hellmouth, here. I'll just see you later, ok?"

The boys could do nothing but shrug and head on to the Three Broomsticks while Dawn turned and began her solitary walk back to Hogwarts. Her slim form became barely visible, blending into the dusk.

She didn't even hear it coming. There was no-one left on the street to catch the strangled cry, no-one to see the lightning fast movements of a sack being tossed over a head, a lone figure smuggled almost effortlessly down a dark ally.

Dawn tried to scream, tried to struggle, but it was no use. Who, or whatever had a hold of her was far too strong. The arms were wrapped around her so tight she could feel the air being squeezed out of her. Every shallow breath she barely managed to draw was polluted by the unmistakeable stench of sweat and body odour.

Fear threatened to overcome her, but Dawn pushed it down with great effort. It wouldn't do her any good to start panicking now. She could only pray that someone –anyone- had seen her abduction, and was raising the alarm right at that very moment. But as the seconds dragged on, Dawn felt the dread gnawing more and more insistently at her insides.

Her friends had gone, she couldn't remember seeing anyone else on the street, and all around her was an eerie sense of quiet. She didn't want to listen to it, but that quiet was telling her nobody was scrambling in their wake as she was forced further and further away from safety.

She couldn't tell how many seconds, minutes or hours had ticked by, or how far she'd been taken, but Dawn's heart lurched with a sudden hope when she heard movement close by. A door clicked open, and Dawn prayed it was some Wizard opening his front door to see what was going on. Preferably a big, strong Wizard, one with a good aim. Then the voice came.

"What took you so long? Get it in here."

Dawn's last shred of hope died. She felt herself being shoved, then practically flung forwards until her body collided painfully with a hard stone floor. The door was slammed and bolted behind her and the sack yanked roughly from her head. She began coughing violently, and barely registered the metallic clang of a cage door being locked behind her.

When she caught her breath, it took a few moments of blinking furiously to get her eyes adjusted to the bright lighting in the room. Then Dawn lifted her head to stare fearfully up at her captors.

She gasped.

* * *

The Marauders sat in their usual booth at the back of the Three Broomsticks, each clasping a bottle of warm butterbeer in one hand. They talked and laughed, and generally kept the entire pub amused by their antics. 

The hours rolled on, dusk giving way to fully-fledged evening. Still the boys, enjoying a rare moment of their friendship as effortlessly as it used to come, showed no sign of heeding the curfew they'd already missed and returning to Hogwarts.

"It's getting late, you know," remarked Rosmerta, placing their fifth round of bottles on the table. "Not that we don't love having you boys here, of course," she winked.

Remus checked his watch. "Damn. There goes dinner. I think we'll have to get this round to go, Rosmerta," he told her.

They settled their accounts and left the Three Broomsticks, opting to take the Honeydukes passage in the hopes of avoiding Filch and detention. Considering dinner had long since stopped being served in the Great Hall, they headed straight down to the Kitchens for their meal.

"Sirs is come back!" the House-Elves squealed, clambering to get at their visitors.

One of them stepped into the forefront. "Sirs is being out past curfew again, isn't they? Locky hopes Sirs is being careful, and Locky is happy to bring them a late dinner!"

Sirius gave a sheepish grin. "You got us again, Locky. Dinner would be great, thanks."

The boys moved further into the Kitchens, Locky ushering them into their usual table. "Dinner is being just a moment, Sirs. But Sir Padfoot? Locky must- may Locky be asking Sir Padfoot a question?" the House-Elf asked, suddenly a little bashful.

"'Course you can. Fire away," Sirius shrugged.

"Where is Sir Padfoot's pretty girlfriend? We House-Elves is missing Mistress Dawn terribly, every day we is hoping Sir Padfoot will be bringing her down to the Kitchens on another date," Locky gushed.

James winced as Sirius' face became suddenly stony. Remus looked away, almost embarrassed, and Peter gave a little shiver.

"Is it cold in here?" he asked innocently.

The blue of Sirius' eyes had gone decidedly stormy. "Dawn's around somewhere I guess," he said shortly.

At being spoken to so coldly, Locky realised she'd said something to upset Sirius. She was on the verge of bursting into tears until Remus quickly averted the disaster.

"Is dinner ready yet, please Locky?" he asked mildly. When she scurried off, the werewolf gave Sirius a pointed look, clearly telling him to mind himself and not cause any trouble. Sirius looked away moodily.

A handful of the House-Elves reappeared and laid out a large spread for them, which kept the boys busy for quite some time. It was getting late in the evening when finally they slipped back into their Common Room. The few groups of people scattered about looked up at the belated entrance, but once they realised who it was they simply shrugged and returned to their various activities.

Two faces, however, continued to frown at the boys as they threw themselves in front of the fire. After a few minutes of feeling the stares on him, James craned his neck and raised his eyebrows in silent question to Lily and Isabel. For once Lily's frown was not annoyed, but concerned, and when she didn't scowl as their eyes met, James knew he'd be insane not to take the chance this time. He sauntered over to the girls.

"Whitman. Evans," he drawled.

"Where's Dawn?" Lily asked briskly, ignoring his casual manner.

At the question, James stood up a little straighter. "What d'you mean, 'where's Dawn'? I thought she'd be with you!" he said, not at all liking what his gut was already starting to tell him.

Isabel shook her head. "No. she left us in Hogsmeade to go with you lot, remember? None of you showed up for dinner, so we thought she'd stayed with you," she explained.

It was James' turn to shake his head. "We met Sirius at the Three Broomsticks just after sunset. Obviously she didn't join us… she came back here alone."

"You let her walk back alone in the dark!?" Lily shrieked. "You morons!"

Every head in the Common Room snapped up at the familiar sound of their shrieking Prefect. James shifted uncomfortably.

"She told us not to worry," he mumbled defensively.

Lily huffed.

"Are you sure she didn't just go straight up to your dorm?" he asked, his face lighting up with hope at the thought.

Isabel took off for the girls' staircase without a word. James held his breath, and Lily fidgeted nervously the entire time Isabel was gone. After one minute that felt like ten ticked slowly by, she came jogging back into the Common Room. The deep lines of worry crossing the blonde's face answered all questions before they were asked. James and Lily shot to their feet as Remus, Peter and Sirius came over to see what the fuss was.

"What-?" Remus began.

"Dawn," James cut him off. "She didn't show for dinner and she's not in the girls' dorm."

His hazel eyes bored into the sky blue of his best friend's, and James was sure he was the only one to see the slight flicker of fear that rippled through the otherwise impassive face of Sirius.

Remus' logical thinking kicked in after a beat. "Where else would she have gone, then? The Library?"

"We'll check," Lily immediately offered.

"Take Peter with you," Remus returned.

Lily, Isabel and Peter scrambled for the portrait hole. Filch and curfews be damned.

"The map," Sirius blurted.

James and Remus took off for their dorm, already several paces behind Sirius. By the time they reached their destination, Sirius had the Marauders' Map spread out over the floor and was staring at it intently. They dropped to their knees and began poring over the parchment, inch by inch.

Lily and Isabel were sprinting for the Library, Peter lagging some ways behind. Filch was prowling around the fifth floor. Professor Damus was floating around the Divination tower like a helium balloon. Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black, it seemed, were getting _very_ close in the seventh year Slytherin boys' dorm. But Dawn was nowhere to be seen on the Map. The three boys shared a horrified look.

"Dawn never made it back to Hogwarts," James realised.

**

* * *

**

**A.N.**Did I not promise you action would be coming soon? XX


	27. Pain

**Disclaimer:**Harry Potter and all involved is the property of JK Rowling & Buffy the Vampire Slayer et al belongs to Joss Whedon. As all Buffy fans may know, 'Pain' is by Four Star Mary… Dingoes Ate My Baby used to play their songs!

**A.N.**I'm sorry this has been so late. Life stuff. Lot of requests/guesses of Spike being the culprit from last chapter. That was funny, because I had already written that as one possibility, but then I decided I wanted to save Spike-ness for later. Hope nobody is too disappointed. Love all reviewers! XX00

**Reviewers:**

**Sonofgloin-**No, somehow I don't think it was Padfoot's harem who kidnapped Dawn lol. And I'm glad you liked the Hagrid's front door scene- it was my favourite too. And thankyou for the disturbingly funny image of Dawn having a litter of puppies to Sirius… mwah

**Saxifrage-**No, you're right, the "voice" wasn't old Voldie, but it was someone sort of familiar… not as familiar as many people would've liked it to be… though I wish I had used your 'pissed off black haired lesbian' idea now… And the dreams _will _go further, I can promise you that, just not thins chapter (it got so long I had to cut it in half as it was!) I tried my hand at the poem thing, but I'm not 100 satisfied with it, I'll tell you now. I just couldn't get the ending the way I wanted it. if you come up with something better, let me know? XX00

**Victoria87-**Not quite, but very, very close guess!

**Brownies-**I'm sorry to leave you incoherent for so long! I really did think I'd be updating much sooner than this. Can I make a strange request? If I ask nicely, will you please, please add the 'Are Yummy' bit back into our screen name. It was just cool!

**Damia-**Glad you're still enjoying! And you may or may not have noticed, there is a lot of interest in bringing Spike into the story. I had actually decided against it, but I've been swayed. Now I'm just biding my time so I can bring him in with a bang when nobody's expecting it!

**Kavi Leighanna-**Thank you so much for all your praise. I'm really flattered & honoured you value my work so much. I hope you'll keep reading. I do try to keep it original, and I rely on my wonderful reviewers to let me know if I'm still on track. Sorry it took so long to update.

**Lizagirl-**Don't worry, I'm a sucker for clichéd happy endings too. But I'm going to do my best to keep this little cliché as unclichéd as possible, if that makes sense!

**Eyexcandy-**You're just a bit sadistic you know? Yes, you're right about who's behind her being all locked up, but most people don't wish Sirius pain and heartache over missing Dawn… and weren't you on my case a couple of weeks ago about torturing characters, anyway? LOL XX00

**Sammi89-**LOL no it's not Dawn's year so far… maybe her luck will change. Maybe I'll get out of this angst riff! Sorry this update was a million times longer coming than the last.

**Inwe Tasartir****-**I'm sorry- I stopped there. And I did it again.

**Maleficus Lupinus****-**I updated as quick as I could- sorry to leave you hyperventilating so long!

**Pomegranate Queen-**Yay- a saner review! Although I like the insane ones too. They're always fun to read. I don't know about Dawn and Sirius getting back together. Although it is obvious they still care, Dawn hurt Sirius a lot and he's hurting her a lot now with how he's, er, attempting to get over her. Some things are hard to forgive and forget. And as for the cage, I wrote the capture without it, and it just didn't seem as caught-y without her being physically locked up. BTW- have I mentioned I love being spoiled by the two review thing? Thanks.

**Luckyshamrock-**I'm practicing the Remus dance. Great exercise. I love Remus & angst too (as you may have noticed). XX

**The Lady Morgaine-**I'm evil for leaving you with an evil cliffy, I know. But it was sadistically fun, so I'd probably do it again in a heartbeat. Glad you liked the chapter and Myrtle as a semi-human behaving ghost.

**Allen Pitt-**I have to admit, I cracked up when I read "Peaches says hi". I did go down that road, but as you've mentioned before yourself, there is a great danger of Dawn getting overfamiliar with someone she doesn't truly see the danger in, and ending up real dead real quick, so I came back and tried a different path. And you just may get what you want with Dawn's mini-reunion. I've got it all planned in my head, and like many other things in this story, it's just waiting for the right time to strike. I've also fairly well decided where & when I will diverge from canon, but that's a different story. Specifically, a sequel. I'm just hoping everybody doesn't get sick of me before then! :-)

**Phoenix83ad-**I'm really glad you're loving the way things are playing out. I do agree with the 'too happy is too boring' philosophy, and while it's wonderful for characters to have happiness in their lives, there's got to be balances and in betweens. I know Sirius deserves a-slappin', but he's confused and hurting & face it- it's not like he's ever had a real family to teach him more effective ways to deal with emotions. And he's in no danger of ever being seen as invisible, so you're right about him not understanding Dawn's predicament at all. Plus I think he thinks he's having fun LOL. Your possible candidates for the kidnapping had me curious & occasionally giggling (random demon) & even wondering 'what if…?' but I think we'll got for what's behind door number one. Will try not to be so long updating next time!

**Bumblebee-**I knew I was a cruel temptress with that cliffy, but thank you very much for the 'great writer'. I like hearing that. Hope the cliff-hanger didn't really kill you.

**Bluegummiebear7-**Sorry I took so long!

**Elle Blessingway-**Well, I _did_ plan on updating very soon, it just didn't pan out that way. Sorry- stupid real life. Have I really been working on this for almost a year? My God, it doesn't register as that long in my head… it's just sort of become another whole aspect of my life. Home, work, uni, friends, fic… Scary. Please, feel free to brown-nose as much as you like. I've said it before & I'll say it again- I'm a review whore and I can't get enough of brownnosing reviews LOL. Cheerio! (I make fun of everyone, including British people…)

**Babytigercub15**-sorry to make you wait so long, I'm glad you're enjoying this.

**Ashes-**I'm starting to wish it was Spike, I've had so much enthusiasm shown for him. Oh well, I'm saving him for later. (It's a shameless ploy to keep readers dangling on hopes & promises.) It's nice to hear that you follow my work, and I'm really glad you decided to leave a review this time. I love reviews.

**Brandyllyn-**Wow- another Ilfirin Meleth reader crossing over? Cool, and thanks so much for being so interested in my work. And no, I don't have a beta. It's that whole thing where I start with the best of intentions each time I type to get it all nice, but then as it gets closer to the end & posting time, I'm all excited and in a rush to post. So thinks like proof-reading suffer. I have way too much faith in spell-check. I try to keep typos to a minimum, but a few slip through my net I guess. Good luck with your own work (I find flattery for reviewers works wonders in creating a fan base LOL)

**Catgirl Elf Princess-**Sorry I took so long to update… I keep saying that… I should've had a sickie from work one day & just typed by the sounds of it!

**Hmm/ umm again-**The Buffyverse timeline goes like this- Darla was sired by the Master in 1609, she sired Angel in Galway in 1753, Angel sired Drusilla in London in 1860, and Drusilla sired Spike last of all in London (again) in 1880. I scare myself with how much useless information my head can retain… :-)

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

**Pain**

"Wh-what do you want with me?" Dawn stammered.

She'd backed into the far corner of her cage, staring around her with rising panic. She was locked up in a small cottage with only one door. There were three windows, but heavy drapes blocked the outside world.

There were seven men in the room, some standing as posted guards and some gathered around Dawn's cage as though she was an attraction at a zoo. Their robes were black and white face masks leered at her from under the drawn hoods: these were Voldemort's Death Eaters.

"We want to torture you, of course," the one in the middle, whom Dawn assumed to be the leader, said as he twirled his wand threateningly.

Dawn shrank further back until the metal bars were pressing into her skin. The other Death Eaters jeered at her.

"You don't want that, do you?" the lead Death Eater said softly, his change of tack only setting Dawn's nerves even more on edge. "No… you don't. You can save yourself, you know. All you have to do is tell me everything I want to know and it will be ok."

Though she was shaking slightly, Dawn glared. "I'm not telling you anything," she hissed.

One of the other Death Eaters pulled out his wand and yelled something. Dawn screamed and threw herself to the floor as a bolt of purple light streaked over her. It struck the bars behind her with a loud clang, like a knife glancing of solid metal. She whimpered and began to pull herself to her feet. One eye was kept on her captors, while the rest of her attention was focused on her wand. She'd tucked it into the back of her waistband; if she could get her hand around it, maybe she could at least cast a protection charm or something on herself.

"Looking for this?" someone said snidely.

Dawn's skin prickled. She knew that voice… but from where?

When she looked up, the one who had spoken was teasing her with her own wand. He laughed and put it on the only table in the cabin, leaving Dawn's only source of aid so close and yet too far away. She went back to her original game plan of putting as much distance between herself and the Death Eaters as possible.

"Do you see what we could do to you if you provoke us?" the leader continued, still in that softly sinister voice. "Do you want to change your answer now, before it's too late?"

"No," Dawn spat. "I don't know what you want and I don't care. It doesn't matter what you do to me, I'll never help you."

One curse, she had been able to dodge. Seven, she was no match for. She didn't know what ones has even hit her, but she felt their impact and found herself on the floor, struggling to breathe and feeling dizzy.

"By the time we're through, you won't have a choice," the leader swore. "The Dark Lord is as clever as he is powerful- he knows you are somehow connected to the Key. He knows you know where it is, and one way or another you're going to tell us."

"You're psycho," Dawn said. If she could bluff it out with Glory, she could bluff it out with these animals. "I don't even know what you're on about."

She couldn't see his face, but she was sure her tormentor was smiling underneath his mask. "I was hoping you'd say that. It will be so much more fun to hear you scream for mercy while we slowly tear you apart. And you want to know the best bit, little Mudblood? We'll still find a use for you even when you've been reduced to a bloody carcass."

Dawn narrowed her eyes, though her main purpose was to limit the amount of space for frightened tears to escape through. Her jaw set and she looked away.

"You see, you're not just our captive. You're our currency."

That got her attention. Dawn's head snapped around to stare at the Death Eater, even though his face wasn't visible for her to read. She could hear him chuckling, though.

"You're going to help me find the Key anyway. If you won't tell, I'm sure your dear Professor Dumbledore will. Once he hears I'm willing to trade one of his worthless students for the Key, I'm sure he'll be tripping over his beard to make the exchange."

Dawn gulped. The only way the Death Eaters were willing to set her free was by giving them the exact information that would condemn her anyway. She couldn't win.

"Of course," the lead Death Eater said gleefully, "I don't plan on mentioning to Dumbledore that you'll be sent back in little pieces. Unless of course you want to start talking?"

Dawn's lower lip trembled. She sank to the ground in her little corner of the cage, her whole body starting to shake. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, burying her head in the folds of her limbs so that the Death Eaters couldn't see her cry while they laughed.

* * *

"Lemon Drops! Fizzing Whizbees! Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans! Chocolate Frogs! Move you bastards!" James yelled. "Cockroach Cluster! Blood Lollipop!"

At last, the stone gargoyles guarding Dumbledore's office groaned and moved aside. James, Sirius and Remus thundered up the stairs that weren't moving fast enough for them.

"Dumbledore!" James hollered, shoving straight into the inner office without even knocking. "Professor! Where are you?"

"Here," Dumbledore said, popping up on the little landing above his office. "What's all this fuss, James?"

"Dawn!" James burst out, forgetting to lower his voice in his panic. "She's gone! We can't find her anywhere!"

At once, the Headmaster was more serious than the students had ever seen him. In a flash far too quick for a man his age, he was down the little flight of stairs and in his seat. He looked at each of the three boys in turn.

"Tell me everything, now."

Only Remus and James had been present for the full story and James wasn't in any condition for calm storytelling, so it was Remus who spoke up. He was frantic and spoke quickly, but did not stumble over his words.

"We split up at dusk, when James, Peter and I went to meet Sirius at the Three Broomsticks. I offered to walk her back to Hogwarts, but she wouldn't let me. She just walked off alone, and when we went back to the Common Room just now, she wasn't there. And Lily and Isabel said they haven't seen her since Hogsmeade. Sir, something's happened to her, I know it!"

"Are you certain she's nowhere else in the castle?" Dumbledore fired back.

"Not in the dorm, Isabel checked," Remus said. "She went with Lily and Peter to check the Library, but we know she's not going to be there. We just… know Professor. Please, trust us on this," he begged.

Dumbledore nodded curtly. He stood and went directly to the fireplace, threw in a handful of floo powder, and knelt down on the hearth.

"Ministry of Magic: Auror Department," he said clearly, sticking his head into the green flames.

The boys watched anxiously while Dumbledore waited for someone in the Auror Department to answer his call. James' head was massaging his scalp, constantly ruffling his hair while Remus chewed on his thumbnail and Sirius stalked around the office, unable to settle himself.

"Ah!" Dumbledore said at last. "Alastor, I need your help here at Hogwarts. One of my students has gone missing this evening. She was a target of Voldemort's, I fear the worst for her. Will you come?"

Not being able to hear 'Alastor's' replies was driving the boys wild with fear and suspense. Sirius was fighting the urge to yell, to ask him what this guy was saying, and he here looking for Dawn yet when Dumbledore spoke up again.

"Understood," he said heavily. "If you floo who you need and get them in right away, I'll contact Harold myself."

The Headmaster pulled his head out of the green flames, but before the boys could ask what was happening, he was reaching for the floo powder and was back in amongst the ashes.

"Godric's Hollow."

He waited a moment, then spoke again. "Hello, Cecilia my dear, so sorry to have startled you. Is Harold in tonight? It's quite important I speak with him. Speak with you both actually."

"Hurry up Dad," James murmured, willing his father to get to the fireplace quicker and for Dumbledore to start talking again. Because of their stupidity, it was a few hours before Dawn had even been noticed missing, he was feeling guilty and all this messing around wasn't helping. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her.

"Harold, yes we have a situation. Dawn Summers is missing, it's imperative we find her as soon as possible… Yes, I've contacted Moody. If you floo in he'll meet you here."

Without another word, Dumbledore broke the connection. The soot clung to his beard, he wiped it absently away as he turned to face the three boys on the verge of tearing his office apart in an anxiety attack. "It won't be long," he said softly. "I think you should all sit down."

Remus complied. He sat, but he couldn't get comfortable so he ended up just fidgeting non-stop until Sirius threatened to stun him if he didn't bloody well sit still. Sirius himself ignored the Headmaster's suggestion and kept right on pacing about the office. James was almost dancing on the spot, crawling out of his skin with nerves waiting for something to happen. Even Fawkes could not effectively comfort them. Dumbledore just sighed, sitting in his seat and rubbing tiredly at his forehead.

Finally (although less than five minutes had passed) the fire roared to life again. something whirred in amongst the green flames, and then Harold Potter was stepping out and brushing his robes off.

"Dad!" James threw himself at his father, not caring who saw, or who thought he was acting like a child. Harold held onto his son, rocking him a little and rubbing his back the way he'd done since the day James was born. James regrouped quickly and pulled away.

"Dad, you've got to find her," he said frantically. "She's been gone for ages, what if Voldemort's got her?" Nobody seemed to notice that James hadn't stuttered. Harold put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know, mate. We'll find her. But you've got to remain calm," he said.

He glanced at Dumbledore, who nodded, giving him permission to take charge. He led James to the couch next to Remus and sat him down, then called Sirius over. When the boys were all lined up, he pulled a chair close for himself and took out a quill and notepad.

"Ok boys, I need you to think about this for a minute. I need to know what time Dawn was last seen by anyone, and I need to know _exactly_ where she was," Harold said, slowly and clearly.

"Dusk," James said impatiently, Dumbledore having been told this already. "It was right after sunset. We were on the main street of Hogsmeade near that crappy old quill store."

Harold nodded, jotting it down. "Which way was she heading, and who was she with?"

"Well, us, Mr Potter," Remus spoke up. "James and Peter and I, I mean. There was nobody else around, Padfoot was already waiting at the Three Broomsticks for us. Dawn has started to walk back to Hogwarts."

"Alone?" Harold asked sharply, no longer looking at his notes.

Ashamed, both James and Remus nodded. Knowing it was the wrong time for lectures on responsibility that would definitely be coming later, Harold said nothing. He glanced at Sirius, staring stonily at the floor, then stood up. He went to talk to Dumbledore.

"Once the rest of the team arrives, we'll send some of them to check this area out. Hopefully we'll turn up a lead on what's happened," he said. His voice was calm and professional, but deep lines of worry were etched into his face. "The rest, I'll have putting out descriptions over the Wizarding Wireless and the _Daily Prophet_, then they can start doorknocking. Maybe someone in the village will have seen something."

Dumbledore nodded and spoke quietly, but the boys lined up on the couch were so silent that they heard every word anyway. "Good, Harold. But what do you think might have happened? What's your theory to start with?"

Harold sighed heavily. "She intended to come back here, it wouldn't be like the Dawn we know to just wander off alone. So I think we can rule out that wherever she's gone, she went willingly. She can't have got lost- it's impossible to lose the path back to Hogwarts. Of course she may have fallen in the dark and hurt herself, and I'll have the path checked just in case, but I don't think so. It doesn't look good, Dumbledore."

The boys shared a look. When was more help going to arrive? They all looked up at a knock on the door, but it was only Isabel, Lily and a red-faced Peter pushing into the room.

"We thought you'd already be here," Isabel said quietly as she went to squish in next to Remus. Her eyes were watering. "She's not in the Library and Myrtle hasn't seen her… we couldn't find her anywhere!"

"I know," Remus murmured, smoothing her hair back. "That Aurors are coming."

Lily walked straight over to the desk where the two adults were seated. "Headmaster, is there any news yet?"

"I'm sorry, Lily," Dumbledore soothed. "No. We're still waiting for the rest of the Auror team to arrive. I'm sure they will be here very soon," he added for the benefit of the boys practically growling on the couch.

Sirius looked up suddenly. "Why wait?" he said, jumping to his feet. "We're wasting time here- we should be checking this area out ourselves!"

"No!" both Harold and Dumbledore said as one.

Sirius glared.

"You need to think about this, Sirius," Harold said quietly. "If something has happened, you'll only get yourself hurt running off in the dark after her. It's hard, I know, but you just have to wait for the other Aurors and let us do our job, son."

"I'm not your son," Sirius grumbled, looking at the ground. Nonetheless, he sat down and slumped in his seat.

There was a loud pop, and then suddenly the office was much more cramped. Several men in heavy robes had Port-Keyed into the room. Two men stepped forwards, one looking rather grizzled with two mismatched eyes, and the other younger, slightly pompous and flustered looking.

"Alastor, at last," Dumbledore said softly. "Hello, Cornelius," he said to the younger. "Nice of you to join us, too."

The one called Alastor glared at Cornelius dropping the rope that had served as a Port-Key and shaking Dumbledore's hand. "Dumbledore, Potter. What have you got for me?"

Harold glanced at his notes for barely a second. "Missing fifteen year-old girl, last seen at dusk heading back to the castle. She never made it here. Exact location was Main Street near the quill store, I thought we could do a sweep from the gates to there and then fan out on any possible leads," he assessed.

Alastor nodded. "Description?" he barked.

"Yay high," Harold held up a hand. "American accent, long brown hair, big blue eyes…"

"Any distinguishing features?" Alastor snapped, his electric blue eye swivelling to fix on all the students in the office one by one.

It was Sirius who spoke up. "She has scars, sir, but they wouldn't be visible."

"Call me Moody, boy. And where?" Moody fired back.

Lily was fumbling around in her pocketbook, unaware that Moody's magical eye was watching her through the back of his head.

"One along he left wrist, and two down here," Sirius said, running his fingers across his pelvis low enough to have all the adults in the room raising their eyebrows.

Lily stepped forward, something in her hand. "Mr Moody, I have a picture if that helps."

He took the picture of Dawn and Isabel laughing together, ordered the picture-Isabel to step aside, and passed it around to the other Aurors to study.

"Let's move out," Harold said, stepping up. "I want two teams-"

"Just a minute, Potter," Cornelius broke in. "As Junior Minister for Magical Catastrophes, I still need some information about the case. We've got to keep this incident quiet, or it could case a panic- You-Know-Who snatching children from under our noses now! Who is this girl? Who are her parents? I may have to notify the, if the situation gets dire."

All the students were sharing frustrated looks, as were Moody and Harold. Dawn was in real danger, why was this pompous moron wasting time worrying about public opinion and cover-ups?

"The girl is Dawn Summers," Dumbledore supplied quickly. "And she has no parents and no guardians to notify. At the present, she is an unofficial ward of the school."

Cornelius breathed a sigh of relief. "Well that's a relief then. With no guardians, it will be that much easier to stop if from leaking to the press if something does go ill with the girl."

Lily huffed in outrage. Remus struggled to hold both James and Sirius down. Isabel was too incensed to bother helping; if they were going to attack this jerk, she didn't see a problem with that.

"Now see here, Fudge," Harold boomed. "My wife's been planning how to decorate that girl's room since Christmas, and come hell or high water, I'm brining her home!"

"But- but you're not her guardian,' Fudge blustered.

"I'll sign the bloody paperwork tonight if I have to, just _after_ we've got Dawn back safely. Now can we get on with doing our jobs?" Harold retorted.

Fudge was argued into silence, and Harold turned to divide up the teams of Aurors and give them their assignments. Moody took the photograph of Dawn and headed the team in charge of questioning possible witnesses while the field team waited for Harold's command. He turned and nodded at Dumbledore.

"I'll check in as soon as I have something."

With one last encouraging look at the young Gryffindors, he strode from the office to get on the case.

"I understand you're all concerned, but you should not stop looking after yourselves in the meantime," Dumbledore lectured gently. "Go back to your dorms and try to get some sleep."

James just snorted.

* * *

Dawn coughed and curled in protectively on herself. She never knew when the curses were coming anymore. All night (or she assumed it had been that long) the Death Eaters had alternated between questioning her, raining curses upon her, taunting her, then leaving her in a ragged heap on the floor to wait in fear for the next round.

"Ready for some more?" that chillingly familiar voice asked.

Dawn whimpered and curled up tighter, but did not answer. She could feel all the eyes on her, leering at her through the masks.

"I said, are you ready for some more?" the Death Eater repeated. "Now ANSWER ME!"

Dawn jumped and clenched her fists against the rough floor. "Stop it," she choked. "Leave me alone."

"That's it, you little bitch. You asked for it."

The cage door was unlocked and thrown open and Dawn tensed. She felt hands grabbing at her and she was hauled out. One of them had conjured a chair, she was thrown into it. She clutched at the sides in fear.

"Where is the Key?"

Dawn looked longingly at her wand, still lying on the table. Then her mind exploded with realisation. The voice… she'd only heard it once in real life, but a hundred times in her dreams. She didn't even see the fist coming. The punch exploded against her nose, then she was knocked to the ground with blood spurting from her face.

"We'll try it again. Where is the Key? What does it look like? Is it human?"

Dawn was shoved back onto the chair, only to be slapped off again when she refused to answer. She closed her eyes, concentrating on remembering the name. It was something weird, something strange. It was like a hash light bulb throwing the shadows from a dark room. Strange! Lestrange! It was Rabast- He slammed his heavy boot into her side, unconsciously knocking the thoughts out of her along with the wind. He bent down and ripped the claddagh ring she still wore from her hand.

"I had hoped to make you talk by now," he admitted while two others dragged Dawn's limp, half-conscious form carelessly back to her cell. "But no matter- looks like my Lord will be writing a little note to that old fool after all.

He Disapparated with a pop, leaving Dawn to dread whatever was in store for her next. Wincing with the pain, she pulled a handkerchief from her jeans pocket and dabbed gingerly at her face. In seconds, the material was sticky and red, but she still didn't feel that any of it was off her face. She sniffled, and even that small movement caused a sharp stab in her nose.

She wasn't sure how much more she could take. At this point, even if she wasn't the Key she doubted the pain would stop once she started talking. She knew it was Rabastan Lestrange who had gone off to have Voldemort send a ransom note to Dumbledore, and she wondered how the old Wizard would react. Would he try to do something to help her? Or would he just ignore the note and let the Death Eaters do what they would to her? Would he kill her himself, just to stop Voldemort from having her power? Worse, would he write and tell Voldemort he was welcome to his Key- it was already in his possession?

Dawn whimpered at the thought. Her mind drifted to her friends and she wondered how they would feel when she was gone. Would James, with his lively eyes and warm hugs melt down with the grief of losing a sibling the same way she would if their situations were reversed? Would Peter, who tried so desperately to act as though he no longer liked her, finally move on to a girl who could actually be his? And Remus- Tara had once said she'd seen Oz wolf-out during the day from the sheer force of his emotions- did Remus feel strongly enough about their friendship to do that? Or was she only a temporary Marauder, a novelty they'd all soon forget about?

Sirius. Her heart clenched just thinking about him, even now. How would he feel? Would he even feel anything? The latest rumour circulating was that he had gone all the way with Celeste Elliot in a broom closet, would he go right back to her for more as soon as he found out? Or would he already be bedding another girl by that night? It was that thought that made Dawn's eyes water more than anything. If only the Death Eaters knew; they didn't have to throw a single curse to torture her, they just needed to remind her that the only boy she'd ever shared herself with body and soul was finding comfort in the arms of other girls on an almost daily basis. Apparently Andromeda's laughing assessment of Sirius' previous relationships hadn't been too far off the mark at all. He _did_ change girls as often as he changed his underwear.

She should've been paying more attention to the sinister sniggers of the Death Eaters than to her own heart-ache. Her broken heart really wasn't the most important issue at the present, but the possibility of a broken neck was.

"Such a filthy little Mudblood, rolling around on the dirty floor," one of the Death Eaters mused. "Maybe we should wash it."

A torrential downpour of icy water hammered into Dawn's whole body. She didn't have time to brace herself, or even close her mouth. The water was choking her, half half-drowning her and pounding onto her tender, probably broken nose until it bled again. It felt like it lasted forever, but then the Death Eaters were laughing too hard to keep up with the spell and she had a minute's reprieve to cough up all the water. Her soggy, cold clothes weighed her down, making it almost impossible for her to crawl back into her corner.

One of her tormentors approached her cage. He sniffed disdainfully at her. "No. Still filthy."

"Go to hell," Dawn muttered thickly.

The change in the atmosphere was as rapid as a thunderbolt from Olympus. All the Death Eaters recoiled as if she'd spat at them. The closest one slammed his hands against the bars.

"What did you say, whore!?" he demanded.

Dawn looked up at him blearily, right into where she supposed his eye would be. Now that she'd done it, she may as well do it properly. "I said go to hell, you trained monkey."

"_Crucio!_"

It was pain beyond anything Dawn had ever experienced. Glory at her worst had nothing on this curse, it was like a thousand knives stabbing into her over and over. Dawn threw her head back and screamed.

She knew this could go on forever if they chose to make it, but as she screamed she took sick consolation in the thought that soon she wouldn't feel it. She'd either black out or go insane; either way it would be blissful oblivion.

Her mind didn't register that the curse had been lifted as quickly as her body. It went slack, her only movements little involuntary shakes and shivers. It was mere moments before she lost consciousness, hoping to never wake up.

* * *

If Dumbledore had slept at all, he would've been woken ridiculously early by six young Gryffindors barging into his office.

"Any news?" James asked without wasting time on pleasantries.

Dumbledore levelled a heavy gaze at him. "Not yet, James. The Aurors have searched the area you described as Dawn's last known whereabouts, but discovered nothing out of the ordinary. They are currently trying to uncover any possible leads to follow and will check in as soon as they have more information."

"We'll wait, then," Lily decided crisply. The others all nodded and helped themselves to seats. Dumbledore looked ready to protest, but from the looks on their faces he could already tell it would be pointless. He nodded gravely.

"I have one condition," he announced, waving his wand. "You're all to eat something, or I'll be sending you off to Madam Pomfrey before you makes yourselves ill."

A little table of food had popped up in the middle of the office. None of them were particularly in the mood, but they all picked up a plate and forced a few bites down.

"Good," Dumbledore said softly.

Tap tap. Tap tap.

Everyone jumped at the sudden noise and whipped around to the window, wands drawn. A coal black screech owl was hovering there, an acid green letter clasped in its beak.

Dumbledore frowned and ordered his students back against the wall. He let the owl in, it dropped the letter at his feet and screeched once before disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared. The Headmaster took the letter back to his desk and sat down to open it. Despite their instructions, the others crept closer to look.

As he unfolded the green parchment, something fell out and hit the desk with a little clanging noise. Sirius' eyes widened as he looked at it and his hand went automatically to the chain around his neck. On the desk was a silver claddagh ring, corresponding to the one he still wore in secret, concealed on a chain beneath his shirt.

Dumbledore didn't have to ask to know who the ring belonged to. His dread deepening a notch, he read the words scribbled out in the long letters he'd come to know as Tom Riddle's handwriting.

_Dumbledore,_

_if you want the Mudblood back, I want the Key by midnight. I'll send instructions on where you can leave it. If I see one Auror even near the exchange, the deal's off- I'll take the Key and kill the girl anyway. If you don't bring me the Key, then you'll never find the girl in one piece again._

The note was signed with nothing but a 'V'. As soon as Dumbledore had read it once, the parchment leapt from the desk, folded itself into the form of a hissing snake, then burst into a shower of fragments. Isabel gasped in shock and leapt back into Remus' arms.

"What did it-?" Remus started to ask, but a long-fingered, wrinkled hand came up to silence him.

"Minky," he called, and a House-Elf popped up at once and bowed deeply. "Minky, could you please go down to the village and request that Harold Potter and Alastor Moody accompany you back here at once?"

Without the usual babble and fuss of a House-Elf, Minky nodded once and disappeared with a little 'crack'. The Marauders exchanged unsettled glances and Lily chewed fretfully on her thumbnail.

"I'd like you all to wait outside," Dumbledore said quietly.

"No!" Sirius burst out.

For the first time since the boy had set foot in the school, Dumbledore came close to glaring at him. He rose slowly, Peter started to edge backwards but Sirius just stood there defiantly. Dumbledore looked at each of them in turn before speaking again.

"You're all concerned for your friend's welfare, I admire and understand that. But this is a serious situation, one which even students such as yourselves are just not equipped to handle. It's imperative, for the safety of Dawn and of others that you let myself and the Aurors work without distraction. Now go and wait outside, I'll inform you once I've conferred with Harold and Moody," he said firmly.

Defeated, the others turned towards the door. But Sirius was panicking, his mind was working overtime and not thinking straight at that. A sick thought came to him and pushed him over the edge into hysteria.

"You're going to sell her out to Voldemort, aren't you?" he accused. Everybody froze.

"Sirius, calm down," Dumbledore said slowly. "I will do no such thing, I assure you."

"You liar!"

James and Remus leapt forwards to grab his arms. "Come on, Padfoot. You're talking rubbish," Remus said as they boys started to haul Sirius out.

Sirius struggled the whole way. "I swear to Merlin, if you do it, I'll kill you," he growled. "Do you hear me? I'll kill you!"

Dumbledore watched sadly, deciding it was best not to try to respond. Sirius didn't need to hear promises that he'd do everything in his power to restore Dawn to safety; he needed to see someone make good on them.

In the outer office, James, Remus and now Lily were all struggling to hold Sirius back. In the end, Isabel whipped out her wand and pointed it right between his eyes.

"Sirius Black, you're not helping," she hollered. "If you don't settle down RIGHT NOW, I'll hex you unconscious for a week!"

Sirius growled again, but started struggling less. Lily stopped pushing on his chest so hard in response. He was huffing noisily, but finally he didn't need to be restrained anymore.

"Bloody hell, Padfoot," James snapped. "I know you're stressed, but did you have to go and accuse Dumbledore of all people of being a sell-out?"

"Well why is he still sitting there on his wrinkly old ass doing nothing?" Sirius yelled back, pointing at the door and not caring if he was overheard. "I've had enough of hearing that I need to sit down and be a good boy. By the time these guys finish frigging around, she could be dead. And if they're not going to do something about it, I'll do it myself!"

Sirius' eyes were ablaze with resolution and he stomped for the spiral staircase. James grabbed his shoulder, but Sirius shook him off.

"Sirius, you're not thinking straight," James, called, making to follow him and stop him from doing anything too rash.

To his surprise, a feminine hand grasped his wrist. James felt a tingle of warm pleasure at the contact and glanced up, catching Lily's eye.

"Let him go, Potter," she said, her voice more gentle than he'd ever heard directed at him. "He needs the space."

Meanwhile, in the heart of Dumbledore's office, three men had listened to Sirius' outburst. Moody watched his retreat through the wall with his magical eye.

"So you reckon he's one I'll be training up in the Auror program in a couple of years?" he said to Dumbledore. "Rash and ballsy, he'll make a good field man until he goes out and gets himself killed," he assessed. "So, what've you got for us on the Summers case?"

Sirius stormed through the castle, heading blindly for the exit. Once out in the fresh air, he took cover behind a clump of trees and transformed into Padfoot. He trotted right out the front gates of Hogwarts unnoticed and right to the spot in Hogsmeade where the others had said they'd last seen Dawn.

There were a couple of Aurors still milling about, but most of them had given up on the cold lead and were currently looking for other clues. Padfoot barked once, then put his nose to the ground and started sniffing. There were countless scents hitting his nose, but Padfoot had long since learned how to control his instincts as an animal.

He slowly tuned all the distractions out until only one scent remained: vanilla, but sort of spicy to him while still being pure and sweet. Dawn's scent. He closed his eyes and followed his nose, until it occurred to him that he should be memorising the path and opened his eyes again.

The trail took him to a more residential area of the village, somewhere neither Sirius or Padfoot had ever strayed before. He took a couple of turns and found himself in a considerably shabbier part of Hogsmeade. The cottages were all bleak grey stone, and most windows were covered with heavy draperies.

Dawn's scent was getting a little bit stronger now. Padfoot paused to look around at his surroundings. He read the street sign: Corsair Street. He started following the trail again.

There was a little cottage at the end of the street, and Padfoot was drawn right to it. He looked around again, this time to make sure he wasn't being watched and trotted silently to the edge of the unkempt garden.

The weeds were thick and tangled, burs caught in his fur and pulled bit Padfoot pushed through without hesitation until he reached the first of three windows. He reared up on his hind legs, bracing his front paws against the ledge. The curtains were drawn tight, he couldn't see inside.

But he could smell. Dawn was in there. He almost barked with anger, because he could not only smell her, but her blood. His heightened dog senses could also make out the sound of her screaming, through a sound-proofing charm it seemed distant and soft, like hearing someone blow bubbles underwater.

With a growl of frustration deep in his throat, Padfoot pushed off the ledge and headed for the next one. This time, there was a miniscule little gap in the curtains, barely enough to give him a glimpse into the room.

But he could see Dawn. She was locked in a cage, twitching violently and shaking. It only took him a moment of sickened horror to realise that she was under the Cruciatus Curse. From her condition, it appeared that it wasn't the first time, either.

There was blood all over her face, she looked limp and stringy somehow, like she'd been swimming with her clothes on. The Cruciatus was lifted and Dawn went deathly still for a moment, so still that it looked as if she'd stopped breathing. Just as Padfoot was about to revert to his usual form and dive through the window in a panic, he saw signs of life in her again.

Dawn slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head. Her gaze slid over to the window, compelled by an unseen force. She froze as she caught the flash of pale eyes amidst black fur, her own eyes begging for help.

Padfoot froze. In his panic, he was starting to lose sight of rationality. Dawn needed him, but there were at least seven Death Eaters in that cottage. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Mr P! Mr P!"

Harold turned at the sound of someone bellowing his name. His eyebrows hit his hairline as he stepped all the way out of the Three Broomsticks, having questioned all the patrons to see if they had any information. Since Voldemort's little letter to Dumbledore, his nerves had been set even more on edge.

"Sirius, what in Merlin's name are you doing running around Hogsmeade?" he asked sternly. The last thing he needed was for another Marauder to go missing this weekend.

"I found her. I know where she is," Sirius panted.

Harold studied him a second. "How did you find her? Are you absolutely sure it was her?"

Sirius nodded emphatically. "I'm sure. I just found her, in a cottage. This way-" he grabbed Harold's robe sleeve and started to pull him along.

"No, we'll need back-up," Harold said, stopping him. "And you're certainly not coming."

Sirius wanted to protest, but he knew it would probably be pointless. To his surprise, Harold took out a mirror much like those he'd given to James and Sirius for Christmas.

"Moody," he said clearly. A moment later, the grizzled face of Alastor Moody appeared in the glass. "Mad-Eye, get all hands on deck and in Dumbledore's office right away. We may have a location."

Moody nodded and disappeared. Harold looked back at Sirius. "Right, on the way back to Hogwarts, you can tell me everything you know," he said, leaving no room for argument.

They walked briskly, only Harold rapid-firing questions at him kept Sirius from breaking into a run. At Harold's request, Sirius explained that he'd gone to Corsair Street ("Just to look around, I needed to do something useful," he assured the older man at his incredulous look) and seen Dawn through a crack in the curtains. He then went on to explain that it was the cottage right on the end with three windows and an even more unkempt garden than the rest of the street.

"How many points of exit?' Harold asked. "Blood lollipop."

"Only one in front, but I couldn't see round the back. But Mr P," Sirius said, looking frightened and a little lost. "Please hurry. They were hurting her- I saw her under the Cruciatus."

Harold put his hand on Sirius' shoulder, a little hesitant. He still wasn't sure if Sirius would ever really forgive him for killing his father. Sirius froze a moment, then gripped Harold's arm for a second. They arrived at the top of the stairs and pushed into Dumbledore's office.

As usual, Lily, Isabel and the other three Marauders were littering the office, it looked as if they hadn't left since Dumbledore concluded his earlier meeting with Harold and Moody. Sirius glanced sheepishly around, a little embarrassed by his earlier tantrum.

"Dumbledore, we have something," Harold announced.

The entire room snapped to attention. Even Fawkes straightened on his perch and stopped preening his feathers.

"Yes?" Dumbledore said, a hint of urgency in his voice.

"Dawn's been sighted, as soon as Moody rounds up the others we're launching the rescue mission," Harold said, turning to give a reassuring little smile to his son and his friends. "We're bringing her home."

They all seemed to breathe so much easier from that point on. A couple of relieved tears even trickled unnoticed down Lily's cheeks, and James hugged his father as hard as he could.

The other Aurors started to arrive by floo network and by Port-Key. Dumbledore glanced pointedly between his students and the door. With annoyed sighs, but no verbal complaints, they all headed for the outer office without a fuss this time. When all were present, Harold briefed the Aurors and Dumbledore on what Sirius had told him.

"You're sure this is a reliable source?" Moody questioned.

Harold nodded. "Eye witness, very reliable," he said. He deliberately failed to name Sirius; Dumbledore had been willing to turn a blind eye to his outburst earlier, but Harold doubted he'd be so forgiving when he heard about the foolhardy rescue mission the boy had gone on.

"How many Death Eaters are we dealing with?" on of the other Aurors asked.

"At least seven. But there could be more, so I think all hands on deck is our best bet here. If we've got all of us in there to watch each other's backs, it'll be that much safer," Harold said.

"I also want cover at every window, and two on the door," Moody threw in. "While we're at it, I want all these stinking scoundrels caught and brought to justice. Whose going to grab the girl?"

"I am," said Harold firmly.

Moody nodded and pointed to two of the more junior Aurors in the back. "I want you two covering Potter at all times."

He quickly assigned positions and tasks to the rest of the team and then they all filed out of the office. Harold hung back to speak to Dumbledore.

"Albus, can you floo Cecilia for me? She'll be expecting it, I want her to come in and assist Poppy Pomfrey when we bring Dawn back," he muttered quietly. "They trained as Healers together."

Deep lines of worry creased the Headmaster's face as he nodded. "Is it really that bad?" he fretted.

"I'm not taking any chances."

Harold marched out and caught up with the rest of his team, already on the front steps of the castle and waiting for him to lead them to the location Sirius had described. He glanced around.

"Everybody ready? Right, let's move out."

* * *

Dawn couldn't stop shaking. If they weren't covered in blood, her lips would be as blue as the tips of her fingers were. The burning buzz of pain was still sending shockwaves through her body, though she hadn't been on the receiving end of the Cruciatus Curse for a little while now. She couldn't really piece the last few hours together in her head, but there was the unmistakeable, suffocating smell of vomit all around her, and she somehow doubted it was one of the Death Eaters with a queasy stomach.

They were talking, always talking, but all that reached her ears was a dull rumble so she tuned it out. She retreated into her fragmented mind and concentrated on trying to figure out how to put words back together, so that maybe things would make sense again. Right now nothing was making sense. Words were jumping out at her randomly, and she knew it was a puzzle she needed to put back together but every time she tried to grab at a piece, the words would slip through her fingers and she'd be lost again.

Everything around her seemed dark, she didn't think she'd ever find her way free of the cage. Hysteria rose like the bile in her throat, but she bit it back. If she could just find one word, just one word to hold on to, then maybe she could make a thought. Maybe she would survive.

It was dark.

_Dark…_

Something went with darkness. What was it?

Cold.

_It's dark and cold._

And loneliness. Loneliness went with dark and cold. She was lonely in her cage.

_I'm all alone._

There was a loud pounding in her ears. Dawn kept her eyes closed and concentrated on it, sporadic and fluctuating, but still resounding throughout her whole body. Her heartbeat. She shifted a little, until she fell face down against the ground and felt her heartbeat hammering against the cold stone.

_There's nothing around,_

_my heart hits the ground._

Dawn moaned as a new wave of pain echoed through her with her return to a more conscious state. Was she going to be this broken wreck forever? Did anybody care?

_Isn't somebody going to come?_

_Will they ever help me?_

She breathed as deeply as she could, trying to put it together in her mind.

_It's dark and cold,_

_I'm all alone._

_There's nothing around,_

_My heart hits the ground_

_Isn't somebody going to come?_

_Will they ever help me?_

She began to recite the words under her breath, it still sounded like gibberish to her, but it seemed to calm her down a little bit. She got through it once, then put all her mind power into remembering it to recite again. Anything to keep her thoughts lucid, but focused on anything other than her current situation.

She winced on reflex as she heard the pinging noise of her cage being unlocked and opened. Two heavy footsteps later, she was being yanked into an upright position, her back colliding painfully with the bars.

They forced a vial of some sick concoction into her, Dawn felt it burning down her throat, itching it until she wanted to rip her own skin open to scratch it.

"We'll get you to talk yet, bitch," said that voice she recognised, before she was left alone in her filthy little cage again.

At first, nothing happened. Then the itch in her throat started to dull along with all her other senses. A few minutes later, Dawn lost all sense of clarity. Everything was bleary and her body felt funny, like it was being relaxed against her will.

In some faraway place in her mind, Dawn realised with fear that whatever they asked of her now, she probably wouldn't have the mental defences left to conceal the truth. She closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate at last.

It took her a moment to register that something was happening. There was a loud BOOM, and the splintering of glass and wood; the door and the windows had been literally blown in.

The instant the '_Reducto_' hit the door, Harold was shoving through. Not even minding the splinters of wood that fell on and around him. The Death Eaters were in shock at the ambush, but it didn't take them more than two heartbeats to draw their wands and begin countering the Aurors' spells.

Trusting that the two assigned to watch his back would do their jobs, Harold fired off a couple of curses and charged straight for the cage. There was blood, water and vomit all over the place, making Harold's spine tingle with rage. Dawn was slumped in one corner like a worn out dish-rag. She was barely breathing, and he couldn't even tell if she was conscious or not.

"_Bombarda!_"

He was so angry that the cage door disintegrated as it was blown off its hinges. He felt the hot zing of a curse ruffling the back of his head, but did not hesitate to push through the filth to Dawn's side. Very tenderly, mindful of her injuries, Harold began to gather her up in his arms.

A sluggish hint of life stirred in Dawn as she felt the careful arms go around her.

"Daddy…"

**

* * *

**

**A.N.**Next chapter is already written, waiting to be typed. I swear on my Jeff Hardy action figure I'll do my best to update that as soon as I can! Anoron


	28. Blurry

**Disclaimer:**Own nothing. Harry Potter and all within is the property of JK Rowling and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all within belongs to Joss Whedon. Blurry is by Puddle of Mud.

**A.N.**Sorry no individual messages this time, wanted to get this up quickly to make amends for leaving the last chapter so long before I posted. I appreciate all my reviewers though, and if there was anything anybody wanted a specific answer for, just flame me I'll do it properly -)

**A.N.** Guess what- this is now officially 500 pages in word!

**For Catty… hope you're feeling better!**

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

**Blurry**

"Daddy…"

A jolt of surprise went through Harold. He hadn't been called that since James was six years old, but it didn't feel entirely wrong or strange. He pulled Dawn a little closer.

"It's alright, sweetheart," he whispered. "I'm here."

He lifted her up slowly and checked his surroundings, his hands shielding her as well as he could. By now the Death Eaters were outnumbered and unable to pay much attention to him. Harold glanced at the two Aurors covering him to make sure they were still on the watch, then broke for the door.

Only a couple of hexes brushed by him, he tightened his hold on Dawn instinctively. Then he was clear of the building with her. The little tremors were running through her body ceaselessly now, she'd gone into shock. Harold glanced down, and knew in an instant that she'd lost consciousness.

"_Portus!_" He pointed his wand at a fragment of the door and turned it into a Port-Key.

"Moody, I'm clear," he hollered, and Moody turned just in time to see Harold summon a piece of wood to his hand and disappear.

He Port-Keyed straight to the Hospital Wing, where his wife and Madam Pomfrey were on standby. Cecilia let out one horrified gasp at the sight of the girl, then all was down to business.

"Put her here," Madam Pomfrey ordered, pointing to a bed surrounded with healing supplies.

Harold laid Dawn down and then stepped back to let the two women in. he drew the curtains around them and went to report to Dumbledore.

"Icy cold," Cecilia hissed, her hand on Dawn's bluish skin. "She's in shock."

The two healers seemed to instinctively know how to work together. Being the more experienced, Madam Pomfrey took the lead. She began weaving spells over Dawn's body, conjuring a list of both external and internal injuries, and Dawn's condition on the whole. Meanwhile, Cecilia was cutting Dawn's soggy clothing away from her body and casting warming charms over her to bring her out of shock.

With Dawn's nose broken, her face was bloody and swollen and there was no way to pour a pain relieving potion down her throat without risking further damage. So they injected it right into her bloodstream.

"Well it will counter the effects of the Cruciatus with more speed," Madam Pomfrey reasoned.

"The physical effects, at least," Cecilia muttered darkly, smearing orange paste over the multitude of cuts, abrasions and bruises marring Dawn's skin. It was well known that anybody suffering under the effects of the Cruciatus for too long was liable to lose their mind, and there was nothing they could do but wait until Dawn regained consciousness to start assessing the psychological damage.

With the warming spell, Dawn had come out of shock and stopped trembling at last. They'd taken care of all her internal pain, and Madam Pomfrey began to work on her nose. She waved her wand a couple of times, muttering and flicking her wrist, until all the delicate bones remoulded to their original shape.

Cecilia took a warm wash cloth and cleaned Dawn's face of the dried blood and the trickle of vomit at the corner of her mouth before rubbing a soothing balm over her face. Soon the skin was almost back to normal, although a little pink and tender looking.

Madam Pomfrey took a blood sample and stored the vial in her office to analyse later, while Cecilia gently redressed Dawn in one of the Hospital Wing gowns and covered her over with the bedding. She cast a monitoring charm over the girl's vitals and kissed her forehead before stepping out from behind the curtain.

* * *

Harold had to resist the urge to demand to stay right where he was until he found out if Dawn was ok. But he knew the healers needed space to work, so he kept himself busy by heading up to the Headmaster's Office where there were several people waiting on the edge of their seats for news.

In reality, nobody was in a seat at all. Even Dumbledore was on his feet, pacing and muttering fretfully to himself. When Harold stepped into the office, everybody stopped breathing. Suddenly he wasn't sure what to say.

"Has Moody checked in yet?" is what came out of his mouth.

Dumbledore shook his head slightly. "Harold…" he said in an almost warning tone.

James was much more blunt. "Who cares? Did you find Dawn? Where is she? Is she ok? Can we see her?" he fired desperately. "Dad…"

"We found her," he said quietly. "She's in the Hospital Wing, they're working on her now…"

Fear hung in the air, thick as fog. Nobody had liked the tone of Harold's voice. At once, Dumbledore made for the door, his students barely a step behind. They reached the Hospital Wing in record time, then had nothing to do but wait.

Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let any of them in while they were still stabilising Dawn, so six Gryffindors and two adults littered the corridor outside, feeling useless. Isabel was crying slightly, little tears were dripping down her face and she had her head buried in Remus' neck. James and Lily were pacing, barely noticing that they brushed past each other on every fifth step while Peter watched without really seeing and Sirius stared out the window, feeling confused.

At long last, the doors swung open. Madam Pomfrey stepped over to talk to Dumbledore and Harold, the students went to follow until Cecilia rounded them up and headed them off to the side. Madam Pomfrey was talking in a low, urgent voice and it took a couple of moments to stop the others trying to listen in.

"Mum?" James prodded weakly. "Is she…?"

"She's sleeping now," Cecilia said softly, brushing his hair back from his forehead and then looking around at the rest of the kids. They suddenly looked so young again, so innocent. "She's very sick, and I'm only glad we got to her when we did."

"Is she going to be ok?" Lily asked timidly. She liked Mrs Potter, but she always felt a bit funny around her. How could such a lovely woman have produced a cretin like James Potter? They even had the same eyes.

"All we can do is wait," Cecilia said, touching a light hand to the arm of the girl her son was in love with.

"What do you mean, 'all we can do is wait'?" Sirius asked. "Is she… is she not going to wake up?"

"Of course she's going to wake up," Cecilia said firmly. "But she'll have a lot more healing to do when she does, and it'd going to take time to get her better again. I don't know what you kids know about the Cruciatus Curse, but it can be very, very harmful."

"Merlin," Remus whispered, horrified. He'd read up on the Unforgivables when the Death Eaters had started to use them more often, and some of the effects were sickening. He hated to think of their little Kitten being put through any of that.

"C-can we see her?" Peter asked, his voice even higher and more strained than usual.

Cecilia glanced around, but Madam Pomfrey was still deep in conversation with Dumbledore and Harold. As the list of Dawn's injuries grew, the Headmaster's face went just a little more ashen. Cecilia nodded slowly.

"Just for a minute, but you're not to disturb her in any way. She needs to rest," she said, her voice hushing on reflex as she pushed the doors open.

They crept in quiet as mice, barely game to breathe. Cecilia pulled the curtain open a few inches, revealing Dawn's unconscious form on the bed. Her skin was like paper, and her lips were just starting to lose the bluish tinge, overall she looked much tinier than she usually did. Fragile. Fractured. None of them could think of anything to think, let alone say.

"Come on, it's time you all had a cup of hot chocolate and got yourselves to bed," Cecilia said, closing the curtains as she realised how the sight was affecting all the young Gryffindors.

"But Mum," James protested. "Someone should stay with her."

"I'm not going to leave her side," she promised. "Now off you go. There's a House-Elf waiting in your Common Room with hot chocolate. Goodnight." She kissed her son, and his three best friends on the forehead. Then she glanced at the girls and pecked Lily and Isabel as well.

On their way out, they passed the three adults on their way back in. Cecilia had already set up a chair at Dawn's bedside, without speaking Harold took a seat next to his wife and Dumbledore went to the opposite side of the bed.

"I think we should just do it," Harold said softly, after a while had passed. The statement seemed random, but his wife understood it perfectly.

"You're right. Even if the effects of the Cruciatus are lasting, I don't care. I haven't changed my mind," Cecilia said, leaning forwards to stroke Dawn's hair tenderly.

Knowing very well what the Potters were discussing, but understanding that it should be a private discussion, Dumbledore got up and wandered off. Harold moved forwards so one arm was around Cecilia. With his free hand, he reached out and took Dawn's slightly cold one.

He nodded. "Once she wakes up, and we see that she's ok, I'll go to work and grab the forms. They're already filled out in my desk, waiting for us all to sign on it," he admitted.

"Jimmy will be rapt," she noted. "They've already claimed each other anyway."

"Jimmy?" Harold chuckled. "Haven't heard that in years. Don't let James hear you call him that, you'll ruin his tough Quidditch star image."

She turned wide, brimming hazel eyes up to her husband. "Don't joke. Not now… please, not now."

"Hey honey, it's alright," Harold said, tightening his grip around her shoulder and kissing her temple. "Please don't cry, it's going to be ok."

Cecilia nodded and swallowed her tears. They fell back into silence, watching over Dawn's prone form all through the night. Madam Pomfrey came in to check on Dawn once, brought them both a cup of tea, and ordered them to inform her if there was any change in their patient overnight before retiring.

Morning came with no chance save for the light slowly ebbing into the Hospital Wing. The doors swung open early in the morning, and Alastor Moody stepped in. He nodded at the bed.

"How's the victim? What's her condition?"

Harold nodded off to the side, and he and his boss stepped away to talk without disturbing Dawn. "She's still unconscious, hasn't stirred at all yet. We don't know if there's any… permanent damage," he said heavily. "How was the raid? Did we catch any of those sons of bitches?"

"Only one," Moody growled, clearly unhappy with the result. "A low-rank, snivelling little thing. The rest were too savvy- Disapparated once they realised they'd lost their prey."

Harold rubbed his chin, a habit he'd developed since he'd stopped running his hand through his hair. "Any chance of getting this weasel to talk?"

Moody shook his head. "Not so far. I was hoping we'd be able to get the girl to testify, identify some more Death Eaters that way."

"I don't know how good your chances will be there," Harold said dully. "We don't know what shape Dawn will be in…"

While the Ministry's two most senior Aurors talked in the corner, Cecilia kept a close watch over Dawn. The first thing she noticed was the twitching fingers. Then Dawn's head moved a couple of times and a low moan escaped her lips. Cecilia's breath caught in her throat.

Dawn felt a hand stroking her hair, and when her eyes refocused slightly, she could make out the hazy form of Mrs Potter leaning over her.

"Wha-" she began, but her voice cracked and broke against the dryness of her throat.

"Hush, darling," Mrs Potter murmured. "You're in the Hospital Wing. You're safe now, we're taking care of you."

Slowly, the world started to come into focus a little more for Dawn. And with it, came the pain. Her insides were on fire, like lava coursing through her veins. She began to whimper, but had no voice to tell anyone where it hurt.

"Poppy!" Cecilia called over her shoulder, holding Dawn's hand tight. "We need another dose of pain reliever here!"

* * *

Dawn had no concept of the passage of time over the next couple of days. She was unconscious for endless stretches, and then she'd wake in little bursts. Sometimes Madam Pomfrey would be working around her, trying to soothe her hurt somehow, and sometimes the Potters, or a couple of her friends (never Sirius) would be sitting with her. Or holding her hand and whispering to her. But she was never alone.

Then one afternoon when her eyes opened, they were much clearer. As she struggled weakly to sit up, Remus put the book he was reading aloud to her aside and helped her.

"Missed you, Kitten," he whispered, settling her against the pillows and kissing the top of her head.

Dawn just smiled wanly and then he was turning to fetch Madam Pomfrey from her office. The Matron bustled over and began waving her wand over Dawn while she asked questions.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I got run over by the Hogwarts Express and then fed to a Thestral."

"Any headaches?"

"Just a little woozy and ooggy."

"Tightness across the chest?"

"Do hunger pains count?"

"Right," Madam Pomfrey nodded decisively. "We'll need to run a few tests, but first we've got to build your strength up."

"Thank God," Dawn murmured. "I'm starving."

Madam Pomfrey tutted. "You can have a bowl of tomato soup and a glass of water, but that's all for now. We can't overload your system too early on."

Dawn just sighed as the makeshift table floated in front of her, carrying the sparse offering. What she wouldn't give for some real food.

For some reason, though, the spoon was too heavy for her. Every time she went to lift it, her hand would get the shakes and she'd drop it back into her bowl with a little plop.

"Here." Remus settled himself beside her and started to spoon feed her.

Famished as she had been moments before, Dawn found she couldn't stomach more than a few mouthfuls of the rich soup. Madam Pomfrey told her not to worry, they could try again later. She then dismissed Remus and informed Dawn it was time for her to undergo a few tests.

From the way Remus had been sent away and the grave look in the Matron's eyes, Dawn had assumed they would be painfully embarrassing physical tests which would require her to take off the nightgown that was driving her insane already. But instead she found herself, strangely, undergoing a series of psychological tests.

"Why did I have to do that?" she asked when they were through. "I mean, I'm not crazy or anything, am I?"

"No, dear," Madam Pomfrey promised, relief evident on her face. "But sometimes the Cruciatus, when used in excess, is liable to cause mental damage. We just wanted to make sure you were not affected."

"One Cruciatus is excessive," Dawn said, her eyes clouding over darkly.

The doors opened then, and two men walked in to see her. A memory came to Dawn and she blushed a little. Had she really called the one in front 'Daddy'?

"Hi Mr Potter," she mumbled, not quite catching his eye.

He kissed her cheek. "I much preferred that other name you called me," he whispered.

Dawn smiled a little, then her gaze fell on the second man to walk into the Hospital Wing and her face grew serious. Harold noticed her sober reaction and patted her hand while he took the seat closest to her. The other man took her wand, that she thought was lost forever, from his robes pocket and set it on her bedside table. She stared at it in awe and relief.

"Dawn, honey, this is Alastor Moody, my boss at the Ministry. He's going to ask you some questions about… about what happened and we need you to tell us as much as you can. Do you feel up to that?"

'No.' Dawn nodded reluctantly. She watched, weary, as Moody sat down and extracted a roll of parchment and a quill from his robes. They set themselves up on the cleared bed table still floating over her, the quill poised to start writing of its own accord.

"You don't need to worry, girl," Moody grizzled. "That quill will write exactly what you say and you won't be made to sign anything before you're satisfied it's correct. You can test it by stating your name."

Dawn shivered under the electric blue glare of Moody's magical eye, then craned her neck to see the surface of the parchment. "Dawn Summers."

The quill wrote her name flawlessly. Dawn gave a tiny giggle. "Cool."

Harold grinned at her, but stayed silent as Moody began to conduct the interview.

"What were you doing at dusk last Saturday?" he asked.

All trace of mirth and relaxation evaporated from Dawn. "I was on my way back to Hogwarts after a Hogsmeade visit. I'd just split up with my friends, who were heading to the Three Broomsticks to see S- someone," she said, unable to speak the name.

"Why didn't you go with them, instead of walking off in the dark alone?" Moody cut in, a little aggressively. He couldn't believe how foolish they had all been to let this happen.

"Because," Dawn shifted uncomfortably. "They were going to meet my ex-boyfriend. I wasn't exactly welcome."

When she shot him a begging glance, Harold took her hand and shook his head at Moody. "Let's move on, shall we?"

Dawn explained that someone had tossed a sack over her head, she'd been dragged off and dumped in a cage. The quill scratched incessantly against the parchment as she talked about being surrounded by men in white masks, whom she deduced were Voldemort's Death Eaters

Moody twisted his face into a frightening-looking grin of pride when Dawn said 'Voldemort' without so much as batting an eyelid. "Got some pluck to you, girl," he commented. "I like that. What happened next?"

The hand in Harold's started to squeeze tighter and tighter, it became more difficult for Dawn to speak, but she forced it out. She stuttered broken sentences about being questioned and hit and cursed until the pain suffocated her along with her own blood. She cried over the countless Cruciatus Curses until Harold was rocking her in his arms and insisting she take a break to settle down.

Moody paced up and down along the bed until Dawn felt ready to continue. The Head Auror levelled both his mismatched eyes at her, commanding her gaze. "Did you recognise any of the Death Eaters?"

Dawn's mind was screaming that she did, but there was something blocking her from the thought. She shook her head sadly. "No."

"All right then. Can you think of any distinguishing features? Height, build, accent…?"

Dawn shook her head. "No, I can't…"

"Oh come on," Moody growled impatiently. "There must be something about at least one of them that you remember!"

"Mad-Eye…"

Harold's warning was cut off by an angry cry.

"Well, I can't! I'm sorry, I'm trying so hard, but every time I try to see them my head goes all fuzzy." A few more tears slipped out. "I know I should be able to tell you, and I know there's something that I heard or saw that's really important for me to tell you, but it's like there's something in my head that just won't let me see it!"

"It's alright," Harold soothed, but his eyes met Moody's with sudden understanding.

"Poppy," Moody barked. "Can we see you a minute?"

Madam Pomfrey was there in a flash. "Is she ill?"

"No," Harold said quietly. "Just a little upset. We won't go on for much longer," he added for the benefit of both the ladies in the room.

"Have you analysed the blood sample yet?"

She didn't seem at all surprised by Moody's question. "Yes. I found a large dose of the Fogging Draught in the patient's system, along with another toxin that I had to confer with experts at St Mungo's to identify. It was an Identity Masking Agent."

"I'll need a copy of the report and the blood sample," Moody said at once.

"It's in my office, ready and waiting."

"What's all that stuff mean?" Dawn asked Harold timidly.

He shook his head at her sadly. "It means they've poisoned you so you can't identify them. Dawn, do you know what date rape potions are?"

Dawn's eyes widened. They were most likely the same things as date rape _drugs_. Reading her expression, Harold squeezed her hand.

"Don't worry, they haven't… they haven't hurt you like that. But the potions they put into your system are designed to take you out of reality for a while, which explains why you were unconscious for so long. they probably wanted to lower your defences so you would talk more easily."

"The Identity Masking Agent is a new kind of evil," Moody chipped in gruffly. "It's added insurance so the slimy cowards can't be identified by the victim- every time she tries to think about her attacker, all the distinguishing features are blocked in her mind and she has no way to tell who it is. There's no cure, yet."

"So that's it?" Dawn asked dejectedly. "I'll never be able to tell who it was? They all just get away with it."

"We caught one," Harold said. "And we're going to do everything in our power to make him tell us who his buddies were, sweetheart. Just try your best to tell us everything else you can remember, ok?"

"I don't remember much," Dawn whispered, tired and having lost a lot of faith in the point of this exercise. "Just the potion burning as they forced it down my throat… there was a voice saying something about making me talk…"

"Can you remember the exact words?" Moody cut in.

Dawn screwed her face up and thought. "It was… 'we'll get you to talk yet, bitch'. And… and then I remember Mr Pot- Dad… being there, and the next time I remember anything is waking up here… I'm sorry. I just don't remember anything else."

"Good enough," Moody said, taking the spell off the quill at last. "I don't think there's any more you could have said."

He handed her the parchment, had her read it and then sign the legal disclaimer that had appeared at the end of her words, then created a copy for her to keep. Next he headed for Madam Pomfrey's office to collect the blood evidence that she had prepared.

"Are you alright?" Harold asked, brushing a fatherly hand through Dawn's bed-mussed hair.

"Tired now," she murmured.

He helped settle her back down flat on the mattress and fixed the covers over her. "Sleep now, kiddo. Everything will be ok." He went to move away.

"Dad?" Dawn called tentatively, deciding it sounded pretty good to her ears. He turned back with a little smile to betray that he thought the same thing. "Will you stay until I fall asleep?"

"Of course."

He sat himself back down in his chair and waited patiently for Dawn's eyelids to start to droop.

* * *

It was dark all around her, but Dawn could feel the presence by her bed. Her skin was tingling. Her eyes slowly opened and he was there, staring down at her. His face bore absolutely no expression.

She remembered the last time she'd seen him; he'd been his alter ego, staring in at her through the window. She knew those pale eyes anywhere.

"You found me," she whispered. "Thank you."

He stared down at her in confusion. Her eyes were closed and she looked like a little china doll laying there against the pillows. Why was he here? He wasn't supposed to care.

He wouldn't say a word. He cupped her cheek with one hand, feeling the soft skin beneath his fingers. But when Dawn opened her eyes again, he was gone.

In the morning, she had to wonder if it was a dream. She was moping over a bowl of cereal for breakfast (Madam Pomfrey had finally let her have a bit of real food again) when an entourage of visitors slipped in.

A massive smile lit up Dawn's face. "Hi guys."

Isabel and Lily were standing there with the Marauders, grinning to see her in such good shape. Sirius wasn't there. Dawn's smile dimmed a notch, but she wasn't too upset, given the five people now taking turns to hug her.

James didn't want to let her go. "Don't ever scare me like that again," he whispered. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, even her lips once, until Remus complained that he was hogging Dawn before they'd all got to hug her.

They all settled around her, chattering away to bring a little brightness to the dull of Dawn's day, stuck in the Hospital Wing with only bad memories for company. She pushed her empty bowl away and sighed.

"I'm just dreading the amount of work I'll have to catch up on once the warden lets me out of here," she grumbled, her voice low so Madam Pomfrey wouldn't overhear.

Remus grinned and extracted a folder from his bag. "I'll keep you up to date, don't you worry. I know how it can be, stuck in here with nothing to do all day."

Lily and Isabel glanced at him out of the corners of their eyes, but Dawn didn't give them a chance to say anything.

"Thanks, Rem. You're the best," she said, breaking open the folder at once to scan what was there.

A bell rang, signalling it was time for classes to begin. The boys all got up reluctantly and said their goodbyes to Dawn before wandering out of the Hospital Wing. Lily and Isabel hung back, perching on the end of the bed.

"I believe we had plans for details and girly bonding," Dawn hinted.

"Oh, Dawn, it was so perfect," Lily gushed, and Dawn could tell she'd been dying to spill everything about her date with Chase for days. "He was just so sweet, and sensitive, and when I talked, he was really listening to what I was saying… How many guys do that?" she said, sighing dreamily.

'James hangs on every word you say,' Dawn thought. But she was smiling warmly. "That's so great Lily. Have you talked to him since, yet?"

"No," Lily said, looking disappointed but not overly concerned about it. "I've been preoccupied, we were worried sick about you! And he's got that big Quidditch game coming up to worry about… I'm sure we'll have more time together soon. He did say he wants to see me again."

She kept on smiling, but as Dawn glanced at Isabel, she noticed she didn't look too happy. There was worry in the warm brown eyes, and fear that she'd be sweeping up the shattered pieces of another broken heart off the dorm room floor much too soon for her liking.

"Well, we're late. We should get going or McGonagall might lose her sense of humour," Isabel grinned.

Dawn snickered. "Ok. Thanks for coming by."

"Take care, get yourself better," Lily responded with warmth.

The moment Dawn was left alone, Madam Pomfrey popped up and whisked the remains of Dawn's breakfast away. Then she bullied Dawn every which way until she was satisfied all her injuries had been thoroughly tended to. Dawn considered making a run for it the moment the Matron turned her back, but she had no clothing and wasn't about to streak through the entire castle in a hospital gown.

She settled for flipping dejectedly through the folder Remus had prepared for her, wishing she could try some of the new spells listed. She flipped over the last leaf of parchment and tossed the folder aside, settling for laying back and staring at the ceiling. She let herself slip into dangerous thought.

The moment she was left unoccupied, her mind began to pull her backwards into dark depths. She heard the clanging of her cage door so clear she jumped and looked around to see where it was; she expected the Death Eaters she couldn't identify to come slinking out of the shadows that grew in her mind any moment. She whimpered, but did not dare call out to Madam Pomfrey. What if they decided she really was crazy after all? What would happen to her then?

She closed her eyes against the tears, and a jumble of words and images assaulted her. She heard the curses coming thick and fast, watched her prone form being beaten and broken like it was a film… Dawn snapped her eyes open, breathing heavily, and wiped at her face. She forced herself to focus on anything else at all, even the ticking of the clock on the far wall, until she was able to settle herself down.

She lifted her head in surprise when the doors opened again; she thought anyone likely to visit her would be in class until lunch.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Cecilia asked as she and Harold came in to sit with her.

Dawn smiled, glad she was no longer alone. "Better… Ok… Bored," she admitted in a wry voice, deciding it was best not to mention her little foray into possible craziness just a few minutes before.

"Good," Cecilia said warmly. "If you're bored, you're definitely on the mend."

"Does that mean I can leave now?" Dawn piped up hopefully. She really didn't want to be alone anymore.

Harold chuckled at the look on her face. "Not yet, honey. You're not completely better yet, you might think your mind doesn't need the rest but your body still does."

Dawn pouted.

Cecilia took her hand gently. "Dawn, there's something we'd really like to discuss with you."

She sat up straighter in bed. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, dear. It's nothing bad," Harold said quickly. "But the thing is, it's already March, and you've only got a few months of school left before the Summer."

She nodded. She knew that. She'd worried over that. She wondered if Dumbledore would keep her at the school, or if he'd make her go to an orphanage or something over the holidays.

Cecilia picked up the thread again. "We've been thinking about what's going to happen to you in June, and we've decided that we'd love it if you'd be a part of out family," she said with a small smile.

Dawn blinked. "What?"

"If you want us to, we'd like to become your legal guardians," Harold explained.

Dawn didn't dare believe it was real, but her mouth was starting to broaden into a grin despite her. "Does James know? Is he ok with it?"

Both the Potters burst out laughing. "Honey, he was ecstatic," Cecilia promised. "We couldn't sign the forms quick enough for him."

Overwhelmed, Dawn looked down. "Thank you."

A form was slid in front of her, Dawn could see both Potters' signatures on the parchment. With a grateful smile, she accepted the offered quill and curled her own signature over the dotted lines. She wiped her eyes.

"I'll put this in the second I get back to work, and if I can pull the strings, it'll be official by the end of the day," Harold grinned.

Dawn matched the expression. "You're the best Dad I've ever had already."

Cecilia watched her husband and new foster daughter bonging happily. She patted Dawn's hand. "You know, dear, you're more than welcome to call me Mum if you like."

With a pang, Dawn thought of her own mother and how much she still missed her at times. She wholeheartedly believed that if Joyce had been with her, she wouldn't have made so many mistakes this year. She just might have even been able to make it work with Sirius.

Cecilia picked up on the vibe at once. "It's ok, Dawn. You can call me whatever you feel comfortable with."

"It's just… my father was absent at the best of times, and downright negligent the rest. Did you know he didn't even call when my Mom died? I've got no ties to him. But my Mom… she was my world, and I don't ever want to disrespect her memory," she said softly, looking down.

"I understand, sweetheart."

With a little smile, Dawn looked up again. "Can I call you Mom Potter?"

* * *

Madam Pomfrey kept Dawn in the Hospital Wing for a full week, and she hated every second of it. The strain of not letting her memories engulf and consume her whenever she was left alone was exhausting, and only pushed her into nightmare-filled sleep, which in turn made her exhausted again. Madam Pomfrey had considered a Dreamless Sleep potion for her, but Dawn had insisted she was all right without it. The stronger she seemed, the quicker she would be set free.

When she was stuck in bed all day, suddenly all the work Remus delivered so faithfully to her took a ridiculously small amount of time to complete. She memorised the folder and even got 'Outstanding' on all the homework (even the Charms) she had Remus hand in for her. She played counting games, and counted every object in the Hospital Wing at least a dozen times. One day she counted the total amount of time she got to spend with other human beings. She wished she hadn't- two hours of company a day was a depressing thought.

The little letters from her new guardians, along with brief visits from her friends were all that stood between Dawn and insanity that week. Cecilia and Harold wrote to her, explaining as much as they could about the case of Zacharias Odwin, the Death Eater they'd captured but hadn't been able to convince to talk. The Ministry had wanted to force Dawn to testify, but as her legal guardians, the Potters had petitioned the Wizengamot to spare her the pain.

Harold had said that Dawn was still recovering and frail, and the potions she'd been drugged with prevented her giving any concrete identifying evidence anyway. Much to Dawn's relief, she was spared the pain of having to go to court, her statement and blood sample were tendered as evidence instead.

She had quickly learned that her Dad was good at many things when it came to looking after her, one of which was his ability to smuggle in chocolate bars for her. She polished one off, licked the remains from her fingers and carefully disposed of the evidence before flopping back against the pillows with a sigh.

"So bored I could kill someone," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Oh," a voice replied. "Well, I suppose I'm safe anyway."

A laugh bubbled out of the bedridden girl for the first time in days. "Myrtle! I was so hoping you'd come."

The ghost drifted over by her bed. "I wanted to wait until you were feeling better, and James said now would be a good time to visit," she said, blushing.

Analysing the blush that surrounded Myrtle's mention of James, Dawn understood it in seconds. It wasn't the you-don't-know-I-spy-on-you-naked blush of her first meeting with Remus, that much was certain. Dawn bolted upright.

"Oh my God! You've got a crush on James!" she blurted.

Myrtle's silvery flush deepened. She didn't bother even trying to deny it. Dawn, meanwhile, was torn between finding the whole situation either completely gross or completely hilarious.

"My dead friend has a crush on my brother. Oh that is just way too weird." A cackle burst out of her, but she shot a look at Myrtle and hastily piped down. "Sorry, I'll shut up now. I seem to have lost certain social skills."

"It's ok," Myrtle said quietly, resisting the urge to squeal in annoyance. "I suppose it must seem silly."

"Nah," Dawn waved a hand. "At least now I can tell how James must've felt about me and Sirius. You know, when there was me and Sirius."

Myrtle grew serious, seeing Dawn's eyes dull at the mention of Sirius. "Has he even visited you?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with the anticipation of one who lived vicariously through the people around her.

"No… Yes… Kinda," Dawn said, her face screwing up. "It's complicated, and I may have even been hallucinating. This place does strange things to your mind after a while."

"Pardon?" Myrtle said, having not followed a single thing Dawn said. "What do you mean?"

Dawn closed her eyes and imagined the scene again. She relayed the details to Myrtle as it played out in her mind; waking up to see him just standing there, looking at her. She remembered closing her eyes and whispering her thanks, feeling his hand on her cheek. And then the emptiness of him not being there anymore.

"Maybe he's confused," Myrtle said, surprising even herself with her wisdom. "The others told me he'd been pretty desperate while you were missing. Now that you're ok, maybe he can't figure out why he cared about you being in danger so much in the first place. I mean, he's really not supposed to anymore, is he? And just look at how he behaves around the school."

Dawn sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's all it is."

"Hello Dawn. Hello Myrtle, good to see you out and about," a cheery voice said. They both looked up to see Dumbledore approach and settle himself in the bedside chair.

Myrtle started at being addressed by the Headmaster. He'd only been Transfiguration teacher when she was a living student.

"Hello, Professor," she said shyly.

"Hey Professor," Dawn said, much more casually. She'd wondered when he would show up for a chat.

Myrtle excused herself and drifted off through a wall. Dawn watched her go a little sadly. It was nice to have had company who didn't have to rush of to class, Quidditch practice, or the Library after five minutes of being with her.

"How are you feeling, Dawn?"

Dawn shrugged. "Fine, bordering on chipper, and tomorrow planning on being obnoxious," she said, remembering when she'd heard someone else use that phrase.

The Headmaster chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that. Er, if I may, what is that?" he asked, staring at the black and green growth in a pot on her bedside table.

"Hagrid sent it. The gift shop must've been all out of 'get well soon' balloons," Dawn said, running a finger down one of the black thorns. She liked it- it was something interesting for her to look at in this dreary place. She didn't know what type of plant it was, but it changed shape for her every day. Twice, if she put sugar in the pot. Dawn was a little depressed that she'd been bored and lonely enough to discover that.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said softly. "If you're ready, Dawn, I'd like to talk about a few things."

"Like what?" Dawn asked, not really wanting to know.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to discuss first, about what you've been through?"

"No," Dawn said, crossing her arms.

"Very well. I'm sorry to do this, but I'm going to have to ban you from future Hogsmeade visits. There's only one left this year, but we will have to wait and see about next year," he said with gentle firmness.

"What?" Dawn was bolt upright in bed. "It's not enough to keep me locked up in here for a week- now you're punishing me extra long for being chucked in a cage and tortured? That's not fair!"

He held up a long-fingered hand. "Nobody is punishing you, Dawn. I have conferred with your Head of House, and both Professor McGonagall and I believe it's the safest option for you. Unless you have another alternative?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Dawn said hotly. She now knew why she had paid so much attention that day in Charms, why the lesson had been so important to her.

"I want to go under the Fidelius Charm!"

Dumbledore paused, thinking. It was a permanent and fairly secure solution. He mulled it over. She was a Marauder- if he banned her from Hogsmeade visits, she'd just probably find a way to sneak out anyway, and he'd likely have a hard time catching her out. "Who would you have as your Secret Keeper?"

"Myself," Dawn said at once, a little less heated now that the scales were tipping in her favour.

Dumbledore's white, long eyebrows rose at that.

"It's my secret," Dawn explained. "Not only should it be entirely my choice to whom I reveal it, but it's a burden I can't rightly ask anyone to take on for me."

After a pregnant pause, Dumbledore nodded his assent. "We'll make the preparations for when you are strong enough to withstand the intensity of that sort of magic."

Dawn smiled.

**

* * *

**

**A.N.**Gold star for anyone who can name the episode the line "Fine, bordering on chipper tomorrow planning on being obnoxious" comes from.


	29. An Innocent Man

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Harry Potter stuff is JK Rowling's, Buffy stuff is Joss Whedon's. An Innocent Man is by Billy Joel, and To Be With You is by Mr. Big. Get it? Got it? Good.

**A.N.** Thanks to all who reviewed participated in my little quiz. Cookies for all. The correct answer to the question: what episode did the line "Fine, bordering on chipper tomorrow planning on being obnoxious" come from? Is 'Fool For Love' in season 5. Bonus points to those who knew it was Joyce!

**Reviewers:**

**Sonofgloin:**Thank you- 500 was a pretty big milestone for me. Yes, to confirm, it really was Sirius there, it wasn't a dream. You're really not a Dumbledore fan, are ya… Well, he won't ruin this for Dawn, but it's not gonna happen _quite_ yet. Let's have a little recovery time first XX

**Saxifrage:**So many loofas, I gotta choose just one? And you can have a gold star anyway because you have me the Room of Requirement idea. XX

**Eyexcandy:**No, you weren't important enough for your own paragraph last chapter (sticks tongue out) And no gold stars coz you're too wussy to even guess about the episode- pfft- more a Harry Potter person. What a joke. ;-)

**Voided:**Yay- gold star for you! I've got to say I'm glad you're drawing a blank on what comes next- means I've still got a chance at having a surprise or two up my sleeve. – sinister grin-

**Damia:** Cookies for a detailed episode description, but no, sorry, wrong answer. Thanks for the review though.

**Pomegranate Queen:**I'd be happy to check out your HP one-shots. In fact, I already looked at the Ginny-centric one I thought it was great. I'm planning on leaving a review, but you kind of have to kepe on my back remind me of these things coz I have the memory of a goldfish. Glad I made your craptacular day sunny again, and I'd say I hope to do it again, but I hope you're just having a good day from the start.

**Kavi Leighanna:**Thanks for the gold star from me, that was sweet. I'm glad you're enjoying and I'll try to get to what you requested. In fact, you get a tiny taste of it in this chapter in one respect, I think!

**Naitch:**What is this 'life' you speak of, and how does it get in the way? Sorry- still on holidays from university I tend to hibernate a little. Glad you appreciated the added action, and I will say you'll get your answers with where the Fidelius Charm is heading for Dawn next chapter. I sorta ran out of room with this one. Thanks for reviewing again!

**Sorceress aka Called Death:**Ok, you get 2 gold stars- one for the right answer and one for that name. It rocks!

**Elkat:**Gold star. And thanks, I'm glad you like this.

**Elle Blessingway:**Whoops! When you pointed that typo out to me I got the giggles and decided I liked it so much I would leave it! and Sirius' little midnight visit was all he was really ever gonna do- male pride and all. As for the Remus and Isabel situation, it is starting to heat up from several angles in the very near future, and I can promise you that by the time I'm through they won't need a sequel of their own. Their story will be told. I'm glad you think all my characters are believable- that has been my main focus throughout maintaining this fic and it's nice when you comment and it pays off. XX

**Chicklepea:**Cookies for effort, but none of those guesses were right. Don't worry about sudden endings though- there is a long way to go before the final curtain call of this little number. As for where Dawn will stay, all I'm saying is wait and see, wait and see. I'm evil, I know!

**Ea:**It's great when I hear how I've changed your mind about a character. And I'm glad you're liking the Marauders too, and I'm willing to bet that you've got way more writing talent than a chimpanzee… I've worked with those. Gold star for the right answer, and I don't think it's pathetic you knew off the top of your head- hey, I _wrote_ it off the top of my head!

**Tigerfanfrv:**No, but good try. Thanks, glad you liked the chapter.

**Bluegummiebear7:**I updated as quick as I could, promise!

**Miss Elisa Tenant:**No, not Earshot sorry. And I'm flattered you think my story is the best (gives me that warm, tingly feeling to read compliments like that). To tell the truth, I think Sirius may be my favourite character, too. Even though I love them all… maybe not Peter so much. I love hearing that I've given you a different perspective of Dawn, too. Thanks so much for the amazing review.

**The Lady Morgaine:** The Identity Masking agent is one of my favourite ideas, I have to admit. I just wanted to construct a believable parallel between our world and the HP world and I hope I managed it properly. Just so you know, there are no maybes, Sirius appearing definitely wasn't a dream… although you do know that when exes talk it isn't always pretty, right? Just to make it interesting and all…

**Arwen Manwathiel:**Thank you, it's nice to hear you're appreciating this. And don't worry, 99.99 of my free time goes into preparing the next update, so I'll try to never leave anyone hanging. Can I ask, what does 'Manwathiel' stand for? Is it Elvish, or something of your own concoction? But what kind of an author would I be if I gave away the futures of Dawn and Sirius?

**Unforgiven Mistress:**Star for knowing it was Joyce who said it!

**Anonymous:**Just to put your mind at ease, I can tell you without spoiling too much that there will be a sequel. I'm glad you're liking, anyway

**CarribeanPrincess:**Thank you- I try to update as often as I can.

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

**An Innocent Man**

After a very long week, Dawn was finally released from the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey warned her to take it easy settling back into her classes; she'd been inactive for so long that when she reintroduced the stress of daily movements, her body may take time to adjust. On top of that, she was likely to suffer from the shakes, and moments of confusion as delayed effects of the Cruciatus Curses.

She was prescribed two different pain relieving and muscle relaxant potions and ordered to report for a check-up a week later. Dawn sighed. Hadn't she suffered through enough of this place yet?

"Dawn," Madam Pomfrey said sternly, seeing the look on her face. "You're lucky to be getting off so lightly with me, trust me. Now off you go before I change my mind and keep you in for another night of observation!"

Dawn couldn't scramble for the exit quick enough. It was a Monday, and most of the students were in class, but Lily and Isabel had been given permission to leave Arithmancy twenty minutes early to her get Dawn settled back in the dorm and collect her books for afternoon classes before lunch. They grinned and threw their arms around Dawn as she emerged into the hallway.

"It's good to see you up and about again," Lily whispered in her ear.

"It's good to be up and about again," Dawn responded truthfully. "I don't know how I didn't gain at least ten pounds, just laying around and eating smuggled chocolate bars all week."

"Who smuggled you chocolate bars?" Isabel asked with interest. She hadn't seen any of the boys at it, and smuggling books was much more Lily's style.

"My Dad," Dawn said proudly. She just couldn't get enough of saying that. For days after they'd signed the guardianship papers, she'd lain there with the words 'Dad' and 'Mom Potter' dancing deliciously through her mind.

The three girls wandered through the peaceful Common Room and up the stairs to their dorm. First thing Dawn did was charge over to her bedside table and pull the bottom cupboard open.

"Newman," she called, pulling the little teacup out into daylight. "I'm sorry, little teacup. I'll never leave you locked in your cupboard for a week again!"

Isabel and Lily watched with amusement as Dawn ran into the bathroom with Newman and popped him in the bathtub, so he could plod around for a while without her worrying about him getting broken. She went back into the main dorm and unpacked her small load of possessions from the week. They ended up sitting Hagrid's plant on the wide stone window ledge, where it would be the least in the way.

She tucked her little stash of letters from her foster parents in the back of her drawer, then folded her clean clothes and pyjamas and put them away. By the time she was done, her friends had packed her school bag with her afternoon supplies. They headed back out, it was only a few minutes until lunch now.

Lily stopped at the entrance to the Charms corridor. "Chase has Charms before lunch on Mondays, I'm going to wait and surprise him, ok? I'll see you guys later."

"Sure, seeya," Dawn said. She and Isabel waved and set off for the Great Hall without Lily. It was empty when they arrived, and as they sat down the first of the food began to appear on the long tables.

"Real food!" Dawn squealed with delight. She didn't know what she wanted first, so she went for everything. Isabel laughed and began to fill her plate at a much more leisurely rate.

Lily leaned against the wall outside the Charms room and checked her watch. Any moment now the bell would ring. She smoothed her hair down in anticipation. She hadn't had much of a chance to speak with Chase since their date, and now was looking forward to making up for lost time.

The bell rang.

Lily took a deep breath and waited. The hallway began to fill around her, and finally she spotted him in the crowd. Dark, perfect skin and deep chocolate eyes as he joked around with his friends.

"Chase!" she called, waving happily.

He paused and glanced at his friends, who just grinned and continued on without him. Lily smiled as he walked slowly over to her and leaned against the wall.

"What's up, Lily?"

"It's been so long since I've talked to you," Lily said softly, brushing a stray strand of red out of her eyes. "I just wanted to say hello, see how your week was."

Around them, the other students were charging off towards lunch. Within moments, they were left alone. Chase shrugged casually.

"Yeah it was ok. Quidditch practice is intense, you know we've got the big game coming up this weekend…"

Lily nodded. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, how could she not know? Then she frowned to herself. They'd never talked about anything as mundane and impersonal as Quidditch before. It was like discussing the weather.

"Hey, look- I've got to get to lunch. Need to keep my energy up and all that. I'll see you around," Chase said, starting to walk away.

"Wait!" Lily called, starting to feel a little sick to her stomach. She saw Chase huff in annoyance before turning back to glance expectantly at her.

"What?"

"Well… don't you want to talk?" she asked timidly. "We barely get to say two words to each other all week, and now that we're both here, all you can do is talk about Quidditch and say you've got to get to lunch?"

James was scuffing his feet as he wandered through the castle alone. Sirius had gone off to visit a 'friend' after Divination, leaving James lonely for the walk back down from the tower without Dawn. His sister. He grinned to himself. His official, legal sister.

All happy thoughts fled as he took a shortcut through the Charms corridor and found it less deserted than he expected. He was going to change direction before he saw that slimy jerk do something to his Lily that would put James in a foul mood for the rest of the month, when he noticed that Lily herself didn't look too happy. She even blanched as Chase began to chuckle.

"Oh, come on, Lily," he said patronisingly. "I think you're letting yourself get a little too invested, here. It was just one date."

James stood rooted to the spot. It hadn't taken him five seconds to realise what was happening, and he wanted to be happy that Lily was soon to be available again, but he couldn't. The way Lily's porcelain skin was going far too white, and the darkness in her emerald eyes just made him want to start hexing people.

"I don't understand," she said, the strength in her voice failing.

Chase shrugged, glancing towards the end of the corridor he wanted to escape through. "Look, Lil, you're a great girl and all. But you need to lighten up a bit. It was just a good time, why try to make it anything more than that?"

Her lip trembled, but her composure just managed to hold. "But you said you wanted to see me again. I thought…" I thought you actually meant it, she finished silently, bitterly.

He chuckled cruelly again. "Geez, Lily, you're a smart girl. You should know that when a guy says something like that, he's just being polite. Now look, I've really got to get going. See you around."

He walked away. The trembles in Lily's lip spread until her hands were shaking too. For the first time in her life, she was left mentally scrambling to catch up with what had just happened. She blinked hard against the tears.

James knew the classy thing to do would be to sneak away and pretend he hadn't seen a thing. And later have Padfoot help him drag Chase Jones into Myrtle's bathroom and flush his head a couple of dozen times. But he was a self-confessed fool for Lily and nothing in the world could make him walk away from her when she was in pain. His feet carried him to her without being told to.

"Are you ok?"

Lily's head snapped up at the soft voice and the hand on her shoulder. Her eyes met James' and her face began to burn with humiliation. Of all people to witness her spectacular failure as a desirable woman, why did it have to be_him_?

She tried to flee, but James was too quick for her. He had her arm before she'd taken a step. The concern in his hazel eyes seemed so genuine it almost frightened her.

"Hey. I said, are you ok?" he repeated.

"Let me go," she managed.

James shook his head. "Not until you tell me if you're ok."

"Fine!" Lily spat, a few tears betraying her by escaping out of the corner of her eye. "Absolutely fantastic. Now leave me alone," she said sarcastically, and yanked her arm free.

She started to hurry away. James thought for a desperate moment, then it came to him. Something Dawn said Sirius had done to make her feel better one time, she'd whispered it in his ear and made him promise on Marauders' Honour that he'd never reveal he knew. James pounced on Lily, swinging her around to face him. Before she could protest, he took a deep breath and started to sing.

_Hold on little girl_

_show me what he's done to you_

_stand up little girl_

_broken heart can't be that bad_

_When it's through, it's through_

_Fate could twist the both of you_

_So come on baby, come on over_

_Let me be the one to show you_

_I'm the one who wants to be with you_

_Deep inside I hope you'll feel it too_

_Waited on a line of greens and blues_

_Just to be the next to be with you_

Lily stared in shock. She was angry and hurt and lost, but James had such a soothing voice. It was confusing her. She tried to flee again, but James caught her up in his arms and started to dance her around the hallway. Eventually, she just gave herself up to it.

_Build up your confidence_

_So you can be on top for once_

_Wake up, who cares about_

_Little boys that talk to much_

_I've seen it all go down_

_Your game of love was all rained out_

_So come on baby, come on over_

_Let me be the one to hold you_

_I'm the one who wants to be with you_

_Deep inside I hope you'll feel it too_

_Waited on a line of greens and blues_

_Just to be the next to be with you_

_Why be alone_

_When we can be together baby_

_You can make my life worthwhile_

_I could make you start to smile_

_When it's through, it's through_

_Fate could twist the both of you_

_So come on baby, come on over_

_Let me be the one to show you_

_I'm the one who wants to be with you_

_Deep inside I hope you'll feel it too_

_Waited on a line of greens and blues_

_Just to be the next to be with you_

_I'm the one who wants to be with you_

_Deep inside I hope you'll feel it too_

_Waited on a line of greens and blues_

_Just to be the next to be with you_

_Yeah just to be the next to be with you_

The silence hung thick in the air and James stopped swaying Lily to the imaginary beat. Lily couldn't believe it. This was James Potter, her first year tormentor, her second year secret crush, and her sworn arch nemesis from third year onwards, and he was making her feel better. He must've used magic, she deduced.

He was touching her cheek with the softest of hands. "You're so much better than him," he said.

* * *

Dawn sighed, looking out the window and into the darkness. She'd been back in classes for a couple of days, but the transition had been much more difficult than she'd expected. She'd even suffered from a fit of the shakes in Potions the previous morning. She just lost control of her hand, dropping an entire vial of worm blood into the cauldron and ruining their work. The Slytherins had found it hilarious, but Remus had not been mad, just concerned.

In fact, that's all most of her friends ever seemed to be anymore. Isabel was wrapped up in a broken-hearted Lily, but would often pause to ask Dawn if she was ok. Remus watched her with his vigilant amber eyes, poised to pounce on any possible threat, while James even sometimes pulled her along by her wrist, as if he was petrified she'd vanish if he let her go. Dawn had even noticed Peter becoming protective of her. Every now and then his beady eyes would jump up and fix on her, just to make sure she was still there.

She'd never been more crowded by friends, but she'd never been so lonely in her life. A part of her was even aching to have someone get annoyed with her. Whenever she did something stupid like get herself kidnapped back in Sunnydale, Buffy would be mad at her for weeks. Just because she'd gone and made Mom worry, and got the both of them landed in danger because, naturally, it always had to be Buffy who would come rescue her.

Dawn stole away from her friends and went up to the Room of Requirement. Homesickness churned within her as she paced across the opening, looking for a place to be alone.

The door that appeared before her was spine-tinglingly familiar. Dawn peeked through one of the glass panels, then opened the door and walked right into the Summers home.

It had been so long since she'd seen it, and Dawn was awed by the sight. It was still the most beautiful home she'd ever known. Memories pounded into her from all sides.

She could hear the crackle of the fire her mother always lit on Christmas Eve, no matter how hot it was. She could taste the famous Summers peanut putter waffles, served with cranberry sauce on the side just for Dawn. She could feel both Joyce's and Buffy's arms encircling her, protecting her from all the world's evils. She could see the fluttering of her mother's skirt as she spun around, showing off her dress for her date with Brian. Her last date. Her last night of life.

Dawn stepped into the living room and listened. It looked like home, but it was so quiet. It felt empty. She breathed deeply and steeled herself.

"Buffy? Are you here?" she called, already knowing the answer deep down. "Mom? Mommy?"

She sat down on the couch, snuggling into the familiar brown suede. Her eyes closed with a feeling closer to contentment than she'd known in months. A breeze washed over her and she thought she heard a whispered voice riding on it.

"We can't be there, little pumpkin belly… we can't come that far…"

A tear slipped down her cheek, and Dawn opened her eyes. She reached over and plucked a photo frame off the coffee table. All her Sunnydale family, except Spike, were beaming at her. Dawn remembered the picture well, Riley had taken it over the previous summer. Joyce was standing at one end, her arm looped tightly around Dawn's shoulders (mostly to stop her from charging right into the centre of the picture). Tara and Willow were next to them, with Buffy in between Willow and Xander. Anya was attached to Xander's side, with Giles at the far end to Joyce, like parenting bookends.

Finally, Dawn managed to convince herself to put the photograph down. It wasn't going to spring to life no matter how much she wished for it. She set it back on the table, then snatched it back up, kissed the cool glass over her lost family once, then let it go at last.

There was something else on the coffee table; one of Dawn's old diaries. She frowned. Hadn't she ripped and burned them all? But when she picked it up and pulled it open, the pages were empty. The little matching pen sat in its holder as if it had never been used, never been destroyed.

Dawn lay back against the cushions and propped her feet up, wondering what it all meant. She fell asleep right there with the diary resting blank and open on her tummy, her face turned towards the photograph. When she awoke, it was already morning.

A little disoriented, Dawn started to wonder why she'd fallen asleep on the couch. Why hadn't Mom or Buffy woken her, made her go upstairs to bed? Then she sat up quickly, wondering why she was here at all. But then she remembered that all 'here' was, was an illusion. As she sat up, something toppled off her to the floor.

Smothering a final yawn, Dawn reached down and picked up the empty diary. She went to put it back on the coffee table, but she paused with a little frown. It wasn't blank anymore.

_It's dark and cold,_

_I'm all alone._

_There's nothing around,_

_My heart hits the ground_

_Isn't somebody going to come?_

_Will they ever help me?_

Dawn remembered those words well. They were her own, she'd put them together while she was captured, trying to cling to the last shreds of her sanity. The handwriting was definitely hers, too. And there was more.

_Lost_

_Estranged_

_Stung_

_Tangled_

_Ripped_

_Alone_

_Nothing_

_Gone_

_Empty_

Something in the words called out to her, like a subliminal message that she couldn't quite wrap her mind around. She stared long and hard, until the headache pounding in her head took her over and she hurled the diary away in frustration. She hadn't taken her potions yet, she couldn't think straight.

It was early still, but after 6AM, which meant she was allowed to walk the corridors as much as she liked. Dawn hurried back to her dorm to take her potions that soothed her mind, and had a shower.

When she came back through the Common Room, Remus pounced on her. "Dawn! Why didn't you come back last night? James pitched a mini-fit when you snuck off like that."

Dawn shifted, wrinkling her forehead in bad temper. "I just didn't feel like being crowded anymore, ok?"

Remus nodded. "I'm sorry. We just worry, you know. You're our girl," he said.

That finally brought a smile to Dawn's face. "Of course. Always."

* * *

Despite still feeling under the weather and sleeping a fair bit more than she'd ever needed to before, even Dawn had caught Quidditch fever by the end of the week. Only Lily couldn't seem to muster the will to care, talk of Quidditch only reminded her that Chase would be up there on Saturday, vying with James for the spotlight.

James had been so excited he could barely sit still on Thursday, and to compensate for all that energy, he put the Gryffindors through a particularly gruelling training session that night. But by Friday, James had emerged as the quietly confident leader. He carefully stored the team's brooms in a safe, secret location (in case Chase was set on revenge for the head-flushing incident James and Sirius had indulged in), he monitored their eating to be sure the whole team kept their energy levels up, and made sure they all got a good night's rest on Friday night.

He had them all up again early on Saturday morning, giving a spirited pep talk that lasted three hours and woke the whole of Gryffindor. The entire House was decked out in red and gold as they escorted the team to breakfast, and when they reached the Great Hall, even McGonagall was sporting a red and gold scarf.

James ordered the rest of the team to eat up, but only Dawn's insistence (and threat of writing home to their parents) had James fixing a plate for himself. As soon as they'd all eaten, James whisked the team off and they weren't seen again until the beginning of the match.

Dawn crammed into the stands with the rest of the school, occupying a little pocket of space between Lily and Frank Longbottom. Lily looked completely miserable, standing dejectedly between Dawn and Isabel while Peter and Sirius rounded out their little group. Dawn was sure Sirius was only willingly standing so close to her out of support for James. She'd even given a bitter little mutter to Lily that he probably thought he'd get a better view from the Hufflepuff section.

Finally, eleven o'clock ticked around and Remus began bellowing into his magical megaphone. He loved to commentate, the excitement was already in his voice as he introduced the teams and reminded the crowd that Ravenclaw needed a 200 point victory if they were to snatch the Quidditch cup out from under Gryffindor.

"And here they come now- the legendary Gryffindors, led by Potter. Heavy favourites for the win today-"

"By whose odds?" McGonagall's voice interrupted, though she was trying not to smile.

"My own, of course," Remus responded cheerfully, then a hush settled over the stadium for the game to get underway.

As soon as the action began, the roar was deafening. The crowd of Ravenclaw supporters was larger than that of the Gryffindors, because the Slytherins had automatically sided against Gryffindor. Hufflepuff levelled it out slightly; true to form they were politely supportive of both teams.

James had never been so focused in his life. The moment he'd seen Chase Jones streaking about the pitch, a red veil of fury had dropped over his vision and he swore again he'd make that jerk pay for the permanent frown on Lily's face.

He was darting about the skies as fast as he could manage without his vision going blurry, setting up plays and scoring goals like an international superstar, like he was born for it. The roars and boos of the crowd faded from his awareness, he couldn't even hear Remus' rapid-fire commentary as he scanned the pitch. All he could hear was the shouts and grunts of the other players, sounding out against the soundtrack of his own heartbeat.

Within half an hour, the Gryffindors had pulled ahead 170-100. Then James noticed Chase diving for a glimmer of gold against the ground. The Snitch. He didn't even pause to consider it. If the game ended now, Gryffindor would still win the Cup. But Ravenclaw would win the match. James wasn't about to let that happen.

"Oi!" he bellowed to his closest Beater, pointing.

The Beater, a fourth-year much heftier than most, took aim and rocketed a bludger squarely at Chase's head. There were a few screeches of fright from the stands as the bludger glanced off Chase's shoulder, creating what was sure to be an enormous bruise and forcing him off course. James grinned wickedly as the Snitch zipped away again.

Time stretched on, players began to tire as the game wore into its third hour. Gryffindor was 160 points in the lead, but James refused to let Chase have the Snitch. He'd even cut the Ravenclaw Seeker off himself a couple of times. When he recognised the tiredness in his players, he looked to Madam Hooch to call a time out. The team went into a huddle mid-air.

"Ok, I just thought we could take a breather," James said, cleaning his sweat-smudged glasses on his robe. He put them back on and looked to his Seeker, a wiry, bird-like seventh-year girl. "It's time to end this. The Snitch seems to be appearing more for Jones than for you, so just tail him. You're a quicker flier, you'll be able to outrun him to it. Let's do it!"

The cheering picked up again as the huddles broke and the game was underway once more. Sure enough, barely fifteen minutes later, Remus was jumping up and down, hollering about the frantic race now on to catch the Golden Snitch. James paused to watch, he was the first to let out a cry of triumph when the red-gloved hand closed around the Snitch. The victory was sealed.

The Gryffindor stands had exploded in excitement, drowning out Remus, who was really babbling incoherently anyway. Even McGonagall was jumping about like a cheerleader. The team flew right at each other, not minding the bumps and bruises as they crashed together.

James wanted to cry in happiness. It was the third time he'd been on the tournament winning team, but it was his first time as Captain.

Through a gap in the mass of red material, he looked out at the Gryffindor section of the stands. In the wild masses, a lone figure stood out to him like a flower in a bed of grass. His smile fell away as he looked at Lily and caught her sad eyes. She stared back, then, very slowly, offered a small smile of congratulations. He beamed back.

* * *

Dawn had never seen so many people packed into Gryffindor tower, not even for Sirius' birthday. The entire House was celebrating wildly, and even a large swarm of older Hufflepuffs had come to join in the festivities. In the most cynical part of her heart Dawn knew Sirius would be pleased about that.

She was standing alone, feeling like a spare tyre in a place with no room for third wheels. She'd barely had five seconds to congratulate James and kiss his flushed, sweaty cheek before the rest of Gryffindor had demanded their star Captain back. Lonely as she was, Dawn couldn't deny that this was his night and wouldn't dream of bringing him down. Peter was glued to James' side, basking in all the reflected glory. Lily had not stayed downstairs long at all; she'd had a goblet of butterbeer and a couple of lemon drops before retreating to the dorms. Dawn suddenly wished she'd thought of that first.

Remus and Isabel were snuggled together in one of the armchairs, having a serious discussion. Well, as serious a discussion as two people could have when they were pausing every ten seconds to steal kisses that went much longer than ten seconds. Dawn really didn't want to interrupt. So she just kept standing off to one side, trying to ignore the way Sirius held court to a gaggle of giggling girls like they were his very own harem.

A couple of people smiled and waved at her from a distance, but for the most part Dawn was avoided completely. Until two of the sixth year Gryffindor boys she knew by face but not by name approached. Dawn's first instinct was to turn and look for whoever they were grinning at, until she realised it really was her.

"Hey," one of them said. "You're Dawn, right?"

"Yeah," she said, wondering if they were up to something.

They kept right on grinning. "We noticed you all alone over here, and we just thought we'd see if you wanted to hang out with us?" the taller one said, shaking a wave of blond hair back from his face.

Despite herself, Dawn felt her suspicions fading. What reason did she have to be rude to two guys who were being nicer to her than her own friends at the moment? She felt her lips tug upwards into a smile.

"Sorry," she said, a new sparkle in her eyes. "I don't think I even know your names."

The slightly shorter, stockier one with close-cropped brown hair extended a hand. "I'm Walker, and this is Trent. Come and have a drink with us, honey."

"Nice to meet you," Dawn said, placing her hand in both the boys' in turn. She felt an eerie prickling on the back of her neck and turned towards the source.

Sirius was glaring at her with an icy look that was just like his mother's. a part of Dawn wanted to quiver and drop her head, but a deeper part of her actually enjoyed the effect she'd had in him simply by smiling at other boys.

With a look of triumph, Dawn threw her shoulders back and stalked across the room with her new companions to settle herself comfortably between them. Soon, it was an all-out war to see who was more popular, more desirable, and who was having more fun out of Dawn and Sirius.

Every time Sirius would flash his heartbreaker grin and lean in to plant a soft kiss on another girl's cheek, Dawn would giggle more loudly at whatever was being said to her and run her hand flirtatiously down the nearest boy's arm. She bit her lip and shook off the feeling of uneasiness as a hand that was not Sirius' casually began stroking her leg. James and Peter could see the whole production headed for disaster, but the crowd glued around them left no opening to escape and diffuse the situation.

It was when Sirius pulled Lacey, the first Hufflepuff he'd dated since breaking up with Dawn, into his lap and kissed her neck, his eyes on Dawn the whole time, that Dawn almost conceded defeat in the battle. She wanted to bolt, to run away from the sight and never look back to see the glee in his eyes. She went to move, but Walker slipped a glass of dark liquid into her hand.

"This will guarantee you have a good time," he whispered, leaning in and brushing his cheek against her neck flirtatiously.

Dawn looked at it. It was obviously alcohol of some description, any idiot could see that. She didn't know if she should. She suddenly felt like all eyes were on her. Like it was a dare. She took a sip.

"Yeech!"

Her whole face screwed up from the taste. Trent and Walker were chuckling, and Trent moved to take the glass from her.

"It's ok," he said. "Most girls wuss out on the fire-whiskey."

She wasn't sure if he'd said exactly the wrong thing, or exactly the right thing, but Dawn flared up. Torture was only the latest in a very long list of things she'd suffered, she knew she could handle much worse than a stiff drink.

"Watch who you're calling a wuss," she told Trent archly. Then she drained the entire glass in one shot and smirked.

Sirius sat up a little straighter then. Fire-whiskey was no soft drink, he knew that well enough from his own experiences. And it definitely wasn't something girls like Dawn, who'd never had a real drink in her life, should be sculling.

Dawn handed the empty glass back to Trent with a giddy laugh. From that moment on, everything seemed that much easier to bear. It was as if all her cares had floated away, to the point where she didn't even feel the need to look at Sirius to compare to him anymore.

In truth, he was a little fuzzy if she tried to look at him, but she wasn't about to admit she was drunk. She couldn't see his face growing redder with rage as he sipped his own drink and watched her apparently growing even more comfortable in the company of other boys.

Soon enough she was on the dance floor with Walker, and she was having a bit of trouble keeping her balance alone so she couldn't really object to the hands resting just a little too low behind her to qualify as on her waist. She could hear his voice whispering in her ear, and couldn't understand a thing he said, but it all seemed funny enough to have her giggling incessantly anyway.

While she was dancing with Walker, Trent went to get more alcohol from the little-known supply hidden in the corner of the Common Room. Sirius, red-faced and fuming, brushed off the girls around him and stalked over to Trent.

"Hey buddy, want a drink?" Trent said easily.

"No," Sirius said through clenched teeth.

Not noticing Sirius' growing anger, Trent took a sip of his own fire-whiskey and shrugged. He shot a sly look at the slightly younger boy beside him. "So, Summers… about how many drinks does it take to get her in the mood?"

"I wouldn't know," Sirius snapped. "I've never had to get girls drunk to get them into bed."

"Touché," Trent laughed, his eyes wandering to the dance floor, where Walker's hands were sliding lower on Dawn's body. "But why waste the effort for a little action? Me and Walker just figured if it took you of all people four months to get bored with her, she must be worth a go."

Before he knew what he was doing, Sirius hauled off and punched Trent square in the face. As the sixth-year's lip burst and spurted blood, the Common Room broke out in excitement. James shoved through the crowd, and with the help of Frank Longbottom in full Head Boy mode, forced Sirius and Trent apart.

"Enough!" Frank hollered. "Or I'll drag you both straight down to McGonagall, fire-whiskey and all."

Remus and Isabel looked up at last at the commotion. They'd been so involved with one another that they hadn't paid any attention to the build-up, but still it only took Remus a few seconds to realise where the root of the problem really was. While everybody else was closing in on Trent and Sirius, he was stalking over to where Dawn was standing unsteadily with Walker.

"Come on, Dawn," he said, tugging her hand with firmness. "You've had enough."

"Hey!" Dawn cried as she stumbled and had to scramble to catch herself. She tried to pull away. "Stop it, Remus, I'm fine! The floor is just a little uneven here."

"You had your chance to do it the easy way," he replied. He wasn't playing games.

Before Dawn knew what was going on, Remus had grabbed her about the waist and was forcefully hauling her away from Walker. He dragged her, struggling the whole way, over to the girls' staircase. Once there, he finally set her back on her own two feet.

He fixed her with a stern look. "Go to bed, Dawn. Sleep it off."

"No," Dawn snapped, trying and failing in her intoxicated state to get past Remus. "Why should I? I don't want to."

"Well you'll thank me when you still have your dignity in the morning."

At the hard words, Dawn started to tremble and cry. "But why is it ok for him and not for me?"

Remus sighed. "Kitten…"

But it was too late. Dawn had burst into tears for real and scrambled blindly upstairs.

* * *

Remus was standing in the Common Room, waiting nervously for Isabel. Finally she appeared, and he noticed she looked equally as nervous, but a thousand times more beautiful. They stopped and just smiled at each other for a moment.

"Well," Remus finally said, holding out a hand to her. "Are you ready, Miss Whitman?"

"I am, Mr Lupin," she returned, giggling in delight as she placed her hand in his.

They wandered up to the Room of Requirement, where Remus had already set everything up the way he wanted it.

"I didn't know there was a room here," Isabel remarked as they reached the door.

"It's a secret room, a magic room," Remus said, throwing the door open and stepping back to let Isabel in first. Her jaw dropped as she took it all in. There was a small table laid out with exquisite gold cutlery, and the delicious aroma of her favourite meal, baked chicken, wafting from under the plate covers. Then there was the crackling, intimate little fire, and the large four-poster bed made up with red silk sheets and black lace coverings.

"Do you like it?" Remus asked, fidgeting.

She gazed around at the painted landscapes of mountains adorning the walls and nodded, blushing. "It's… it's just what I'd hoped for, Remus. You're just what I'd hoped for," she added in a whisper.

His ears went crimson and he hurried to pull the chair out for her. They sat and ate in silence for the most part, pausing to give a soft smile every now and then. Tonight just didn't seem the night for small talk.

When the meal ended, they just stared at each other for a long time, both a little afraid to make the first move. Finally, Remus took a deep breath. "Isabel? Are you still sure about this?"

"I am," she said in a low voice.

They stood and moved slowly, uncertainly towards the bed. Remus' insides were churning, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He had wanted to tell her his secret well before they let things get so intimate, but he'd failed time and time again. He looked down, feeling false and inadequate.

"Remus," Isabel whispered, taking his chin and forcing amber eyes up to brown. "I know you're hiding something from me, and I know you think you can't tell me whatever it is. I wish I could make you trust me as much as I trust you," she sighed.

"I'm so sorry," Remus mumbled, ashamed. "If you don't want-"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," she interrupted, moving her hand to his cheek. "I'm saying, I don't care what secrets you have, whatever you feel the need to hide from me. It doesn't change how I feel about you. I… I love you, Remus." She took a deep breath after she'd said it, waiting for the fallout.

Remus closed his eyes. She'd said it. She said it and she meant it. he wasn't going to allow himself time to pause and wonder if she'd still mean it when she found out what he truly was. "I love you too," he said, whispering the words he never thought he'd find someone to say to.

There was a beat of warmth, then a beat of awkwardness as they realised neither of them was really sure what to do next. They ended up sitting on the edge of the bed for a series of deep, exploring kisses that seemed to help them both relax.

After a few minutes, he felt Isabel's fingers fumble with the buttons of his shirt, pulling it apart and sliding it off his shoulders. He responded by lifting her arms above her head, running his hands back down along her to grasp the hem and tug her own shirt up and away.

They progressed gently from there, exploring each other's upper bodies before feeling the need to remove more clothing. Both broke into embarrassed giggles as their pants got tangled about their shoes and they had to stop to sort it all out. Remus leaned over to kiss Isabel as they stopped laughing, and it wasn't long after that before their underwear hit the floor. Isabel was trembling as they slid under the covers. They'd seen each other in various stages of undress before, but never completely naked. Remus reached out and touched her lightly, his face full of wonder and fascination. She closed her eyes, basking in it. Soon she was letting her own hands touch and discover, too.

They paused a moment while Remus fumbled for his wand to cast the_Infertilus Protectus_charm, then they stared wide-eyed into each other, knowing that nothing would ever be the same after this next moment.

Time froze as they came together at last. It was the messy, clumsy-sweet kind of making love, two people learning new and frightening ways to express their feelings. They moved slowly and carefully, almost uncertain at times until they settled more easily together.

Afterwards, a strange silence settled over them. They were blushing brightly, barely game to meet each other's gaze until Remus took a deep breath and turned to meet Isabel's look head on.

She smiled slightly, and he couldn't help but return it.

* * *

Dawn's feet pounded against the stone floor as she returned from a trip to the Library. She'd been at the Library much more often than usual lately, almost as a self-imposed punishment for her stupidity at the Quidditch Cup victory party. She figured she'd lost herself a full day of study Sunday, she'd spent the morning moaning and gasping with the pain of a hangover and the afternoon trying to apologise to Remus and James for being so horrible and embarrassing for them.

James had sat her down and given her a very brotherly lecture about drinking with strange boys, and told her a thing or two about drinking in general. Mainly that responsibility was the most important part of it. Remus had just apologised himself for speaking so harshly to her and reminded her how much they all worried about their Kitten.

She glanced up, then put her head down and fought to keep her pace steady. She hadn't been able to look Sirius in the eye since she'd ultimately lost Saturday night's battle.

Sirius glared as Dawn passed. He'd had a boiling pit of rage festering in his stomach since she'd so shamelessly flaunted that she was back on the market. He doubted she even cared where she'd have ended up on Saturday night if he hadn't stepped in. the irrational, blatantly pessimistic part of him even dared to suggest she was disappointed. But what really pushed Sirius over the edge was the realisation that he even cared at all. He couldn't resist the opportunity to vent.

"What, off to find someone else to fix your drinks?" he tossed over his shoulder.

Dawn stopped dead, as if she'd been slapped. "You asshole," she ground out, whipping around.

Sirius paused and turned as well, a smirk of provocation twisting his lips cruelly. Dawn's eyes narrowed and for no other reason than it felt good, she went on the attack.

"How dare you speak to me like I'm a whore," she said, her voice rising and her eyes snapping. "Because if there's anyone here acting like a whore, it's you!"

A few passing people stopped to stare. Sirius flashed angry eyes in their direction. "Do you mind- this is a private argument here."

He looked back at Dawn and shook his head. "Did you think I was just going to sit in the dorm forever, waiting for you to decide you want to play your little games again?"

"Oh please, hypocritical much?" Dawn snapped. "I'm not the one playing games. That's you, with all your little airhead friends."

Sirius' eyes narrowed, honing in on her. "Could it be that someone's jealous?"

"Disgusted is more like it. How do you even keep their names straight in your head? Or do you just pick a random name? Or maybe you've just been deluding yourself about who you're really screwing," she whipped out.

Sirius felt his face reddening slightly. How could she possibly know about all those times he'd caught himself slipping, thinking her name, imagining she was there? "Oh? And just who am I screwing, according to the all-knowing Princess?"

"Only yourself," Dawn said, arching a petulant eyebrow and looking more vindictive to Sirius than he'd ever thought possible. "Well, and maybe a few unfortunate skanks along the way. I mean, are you even careful?" she railed, the answer she could see written in his eyes feeding her rant.

"My God, Sirius, how stupid can you be? How can you justify our breaking up as an excuse to go out and get God knows how many poor, stupid girls knocked up?" She looked him up and down. "Or how many diseases you've gone and got."

"I am not diseased!" Sirius hollered, outraged at the mere suggestion.

Dawn's laugh was dry, derisive. "Yeah? How do you know? She challenged.

Sirius, more on fire than he'd ever felt in his life, turned and stormed off. "Call me diseased," he muttered angrily. "I'll show you, you can stick this right up your perfect little nose…"

He waltzed brazenly into the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey was quietly taking inventory of her potions stock, and announced that he needed a blood test right away.

"Mr Black, whatever for?" she asked.

Sirius held her gaze firmly. "I need you to test me for sexually transmitted diseases," he said boldly.

The Matron was so flabbergasted that she carried the test out as quickly as possible, and soon enough Sirius was given a clean bill of health and the sheet of parchment to prove it. he waited for Madam Pomfrey to finish her lecture on safety, responsibility and the advantages of abstinence, then set off through the castle. There was one particular nose he wanted to rub in this parchment.

Dawn was in the Common Room when he found her, he marched over and slammed the medical parchment down on her book without warning.

"See, told you I'm not diseased," he said snidely.

Dawn scanned the information with a raised eyebrow. Without so much as glancing at Sirius, she stood up and walked away with it.

Sirius could only stand by, dumbstruck, as Dawn waltzed right over to the noticeboard, pinned Sirius' test results for all to see next to the old poster for the last Hogsmeade weekend, and left the room.


	30. Estranged

**Disclaimer:**All things from Harry Potter are the property of JK Rowling, just as all from Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon. Estranged (the second best song ever to have been written, or according to me anyway) is by the best rock band ever (again, according to me- my fic, my rules) Guns N' Roses.

**A.N.** Sorry for update delay- there were illness issues. If you read review only one more chapter in your lives, make it this one. Please. This chapter is dedicated to my best friend, the only person who knew this was coming. Hope it measures up XX00

**Reviewers:**

**Sonofgloin:**You weren't being overly insensitive, poor Remus did cop a bit from Dawn at the party. Poor guy. You're dead set on your thread of a thread idea, but you did have more time to study than everyone else… I'm still proud though.

**Saxifrage:**-waves- Hi Catty. Thanks for more loofas- I'm thinking of making a loofa-rainbow one day… Can't wait to see what you come up with to review after _this_ chapter. Hehe. I may be evil.

**Eyexcandy:**Ok, ok, I friggin updated! You've got what you want, now back away from the Wombat nobody needs to get hurt. -)

**Kavi Leighanna:**Isn't it funny- you can't remember why Dawn Sirius broke up in the first place. Do you get the feeling sometimes they can't remember either? Sad, silly people. Glad you liked the James Lily moments, they were my favourites in a way.

**Morgaine:**Accusations/hexing/talking, it's all the same isn't it-grins- And fear not about visiting Scoobies- I think I've been persuaded.

**Clcountry:**Yeah, that was pretty vicious of Dawn, but at least she's not taking things lying down anymore. And you may be very. Very right about the werewolf explosion.

**Luckyshamrock:**I'm glad you enjoyed all those things about the chapter- I worked pretty hard on them so it's great when it pays off through reviewers' compliments. Thanks. And feel free to make your reviews as long full of questions as you like- I love reading answering them when I can without giving too much away!

**Damia:**Well, I think a bed would be more comfortable than a broom closet, but I see your point. LOL thanks for the review

**Bretts-girl:**It's great to hear you enjoy my story. I'm sorry I don't update more often, but I put as much effort into it as I can. Each chapter is hand-written (so that I can write on a train or bus or even in a café, I do that a lot actually) and can be anywhere between 25 and 33 pages long. Then I have to edit type as well as prepare the chapters to update on 2 separate sites. But I do try to get it done as quickly as I can. And I'll try inject some more Newman for you too!

**Voided:**I think a lot of us would've liked to throttle Sirius… and Trent and Walker too. And sorry for causing the embarrassment of public laughter. If it makes you feel any better, I do that while I'm _writing_ it… and I'm usually on a crowded train or at a busy bus stop!

**Miss Elisa Tenant:**I'm sorry this wasn't coming soon as I'd hoped- see above re: illness. If I have to get a note from Mum, I'll do it. LOL. And yeah, I figured it was about time I uncovered Dawn's backbone a little.

**Stix89**:LOL, yeah, Dawn's metaphoric balls are funny, aren't they? And as for James and Lily, I've decided that their romance will progress along the timeline JKR had planned for them- they won't be getting together until seventh year. But hey, that doesn't mean we can't have a lot of fun with them on the way!

**Rogue-Angel82:**I know- you just can't pick who is right when it comes to Dawn and Sirius. That's why I have so much fun writing them through this stage! It will be nice once I have them talking without violence, though, I agree.

**Victoria87:**I'm glad you loved it anyway. I probably should've explained why I used 'An Innocent Man' in the first place. Sorry. I don't know if you know the song, if not I recommend looking up the lyrics on a lyrics archive somewhere, because it very much describes the way James was feeling about Lily through the chapter. Plus it's a sweet song, for Billy Joel…

**Elle Blessingway:**Well, I just couldn't stand the idea of Dawn being _perfect_, so I had to make her mess up a bit. And it is a very humanely base thing to do- getting drunk to drown your romantic sorrows. I'm glad you liked James' little song- deep down I loved that too. Although I don't know how rounded all those relationships are… spanners are so much fun to throw in the works!

**Ea:**Thank you for your review. It's great to hear that I've managed to write something that has the power to invoke your emotions- every writer's goal. And don't worry- I think most people only started reading this because they were bored. Hell, I only started _writing_ it because I was bored! And no, I never watched Firefly, but I did hear both good and bad things about it. one day I'll get around to catching an episode somewhere. And I'm completely drawing a blank on the episode "they give you credit just for speaking it (English) right?" is from. It's Season 3, when Buffy is taking her make-up tests to get back into school… it might be… either Faith, Hope Trick or Beauty the Beasts. Um, wild stab, Faith, Hope Trick?

**Chicklepea:**Glad you enjoyed Dawn's little streak of spunk. I guess she would be missing her family (more will probably come of that soon) but she's accepted that there's no way back, and she's concentrating on another way to protect herself from the big evil dude after her. And how knows when Remus will tell the girl? Who knows how she will find out? Maybe someone else will spill the beans. Or you could just ignore me read the chapter. Well, there's a hint a half. LOL. The Seeker issue is a bit of a grey area. I know in the movies James is a Seeker, but I couldn't find a definite reference in the books to his position, apart from the fact that he nicked the Snitch from the Quidditch store. So I just used my creative licence. I like to keep a little distinction between James and Harry. I don't know about Madam Pomfrey being French though- coz there's also Madam Pince Madam Hooch. I guess she could be French, but I figured it was just their was of being respectful to non-Professors without falling back on Miss or Mrs. Shrug. May be JKR will give us a clue one day. I would like to hear her swear at someone in French though… know any French swear words? And I'm Australian, so I'm happy to say I know the difference between cookies and biscuits. LOL.

**Beth:**You're making me blush. And smile. This is really the best story you've ever read? Well, you've made my month. Thank you. And go the Aussies! There are only few of us around here, but my God we are spunky devils. LOL. I updated as soon as I could, I promise! And I will NEVER abandon this story- it's my baby!

**Phoenix83ad:**I hope you're getting the update emails again. Stupid site. That's ok- I forgive you. And yeah, I'm glad you see it my way about Dawn not being able to completely replace her mother with James'. It just wouldn't be right. And I'm glad you enjoyed the Dawn Sirius fight- I sorta got carried away and just went with it. Sirius deserved the man0slut comment, though. Hey, if the broom fits, ride it! Will try to update sooner next time. XX00

**Catgirl Elf Princess:**It's nice to see the Kitten's new claws appreciated. And it may not happen overnight, but I can safely promise you that one day she'll be sinking them into a Slytherin or two!

**Turkey's R Sexy:**That's the most hilarious screen name of all time. Well done! Seriously, I burst out laughing when I read it. It's great! And thank you for your compliments. I'm not a professional, but I one day hope to be so your ego boost really helped out. I do try to keep the characters as real as I can, and the only reason I played with Myrtle a bit was because I always thought she just needed a friend to make her a little more… normal. Maybe she's so high strung in Harry's time because of the friends she's lost or something? Or so I'm telling myself. I am keeping things in line with season 6 in a way, and there are parallels between Dawn Sirius and Buffy Spike, but it's not quite the same. Dawn and Sirius was more of a rushed into the feeling too quick and paid the price kinda thing. But by the end I'm hoping to have all the parallels more clearly laid out. I love to hear that you're going to be a loyal reviewer, too. I happen to be a review-whore! Thanks!

**Yellow crayon:**I'm sorry- I was sick. Going as quick as I can, I promise-)

**Bluegummiebear7:**LOL, Sirius should be smacked in the face, but I guess we'll have to be satisfied with the record of his sexual health being displayed for the whole of Gryffindor!

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

**Estranged**

"So how does this work?"

Dawn was looking down at a simple protective circle, created on the floor in the Headmaster's Office. Not too long after her release from the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore had decided she was ready to go under the Fidelius Charm to hide her true origins. Now both he and Professor Flitwick were gathered, ready to guide her through the process.

"It's a simple incantation, Miss Summers. But the magics behind it are deeply complex," Flitwick piped up in his cute, squeaky little voice. "This Charm takes a great deal of focus, and I must say your performance in Charms has come along in leaps and bounds, but…"

"But I'm just as likely to have all the portraits playing fiddles as getting this right?" Dawn filled in, seeing the hesitation on the Professor's face.

Dumbledore hid a chuckle at her words. "We will help you through. Of course, if it comes to that. But we do have faith in your ability, otherwise I would not have allowed this attempt."

Dawn nodded and began focusing her mind on the task at hand. She sat herself inside the circle, crossing her legs just the way she'd seen Willow and Tara do, and waited patiently while Flitwick began lecturing and instructing her.

"When you cast this Charm, you must have your mind firmly fixed on what you want to conceal. Not just a general idea, but _exactly_ what you want concealed. If you're just thinking you don't want anybody to know about you, you risk having anyone who has ever met you forgetting you even exist," he said.

Dawn's eyes widened. Not just because of the warning Flitwick had given, but because from the implications of his words, it sounded like he knew exactly what she was trying to conceal. Before she could turn to ask, Dumbledore had stepped in to explain.

"I needed to inform Professor Flitwick of your particular secret so that he could help me with the Charm, Dawn," he explained softly. "Do not fear, once the spell is complete neither he nor I will be able to recall that you are the Key, unless you should choose to reveal it to us."

Dawn nodded and turned her attention back to the Charms Professor. "If this works, what will happen? I mean, what can I expect when it comes to being a Secret Keeper?"

"Nothing too different from usual," he assured her. "If the Charm is performed successfully, then all who previously knew the secret will forget it altogether. Should you correctly focus on concealing the power of the Key and its presence within you, nobody will know. Even those predisposed to sensing it will be prevented from making the connections to expose you as the Key. So you may tell whomever you choose and be secure in the knowledge that they cannot betray your secret as long as you live."

Dawn smiled slightly. That sounded very much like she would be in control. It made her feel much safer than she had in a long time. She nodded slightly to indicate she was ready. She accepted the scribbled out incantation and committed it to memory. While she was reading it, Flitwick came and anointed her forehead with rose oil, smearing it all the way across from temple to temple.

Next she was handed a goblet full of clear, sweet liquid. She drank until it was taken from her and put aside. The lighting in the office had been dimmed until only a circle of candles around her were left as illumination.

"Close your eyes, Dawn, and repeat the incantation three times. Then focus on what you want to conceal, and focus on nothing else no matter what. if the Charm works, you'll know," Flitwick instructed her.

Dawn's breathing became slow and deep. She let her eyes flutter closed and began to mutter intensely under her breath until she had gone through the incantation three times. Then her mind took up a mental chant which she allowed to consume her.

_Conceal the Key. Conceal that it's in me. Conceal the Key…_

Although it felt like minutes had ticked by, too many minutes for the spell to have worked, Dawn didn't relent in her mantra. She was sure they'd stop her if she'd done it wrong, or if it wasn't working.

_Conceal the Key. Conceal that it's in me. Conceal the Key. Conceal-_

There was a burst of warmth in her chest so deep it knocked all sense of thought and feeling out of her. As the warmth subsided, her mind began to tingle and even though her eyes were closed, she felt as if the room was spinning.

Next thing she knew, she was lying on her back on the floor in Dumbledore's office, panting from the exertion of the Charm over her body. The lights had been returned to normal and the candles snuffed. She sat up and wiped her hand over her face, smudging rose oil over her fingers as she did so. With a little grimace, she wiped her hands on her skirt.

Dumbledore helped her up and the moment she stepped out of the circle, Flitwick vanished it with a wave of his wand.

"Are you all right, Dawn?"

"Uh-huh," Dawn said thinly. "I think it worked. Well, I hope so. Do you still know about me?"

"What about you?" Dumbledore asked, his light blue eyes searching as they peered into Dawn's face.

Dawn grinned. "Never mind."

"You should sit down a moment," Flitwick told her. "It's a very heavy Charm you've just performed… A lot of seventh years would have trouble with the Fidelius…"

For a moment, Dawn was confused. If her secret was so well hidden, how did they know she'd just completed the Charm for it? Then she understood. The face that she was the Key was concealed, but the fact that she had gone under the Fidelius Charm was not. She shook her head.

"No, I want to get out of here. Thanks for all your help, Professors."

She took a step, wobbled, and sat down heavily in the nearest chair.

"Of course, sitting down is good too," she amended.

* * *

Remus was in the Common Room, reading as far ahead in his textbooks as possible to compensate for another looming monthly absence. He glanced up as Dawn entered from the portrait hole, looking as tired and drawn as he knew he must.

She spotted him, waved, and came over to perch on the seat next to him. Before she could even open her mouth to begin, he mustered the best grin he could manage and waved her words off.

"Let me guess, Kitten. You've got an excuse equally as flimsy as last month's for why you can't make it for a midnight snack tonight. It's ok, I understand," he promised. He knew things between Dawn and Sirius had deteriorated to the point of an unofficially declared cold war. He didn't really expect Dawn to feel welcome hanging out with the Marauders as a whole. Dawn's addition to the noticeboard had remained for several days, because Sirius' pride wouldn't allow him to cave in and rip it down. It was only when someone had scribbled 'For a good time, call…' across the top in bright red ink that Lily had taken pity and removed the parchment.

Dawn blushed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so weak," she said, sounding small.

"We all have our weaknesses," Remus said wisely.

"Yeah…"

After a few minutes of quiet reflection, Dawn looked up again. "Remus, I really do have a reason for not coming tonight. Actually, I don't feel very well," she confided.

"I noticed you looking a bit under the weather," Remus commented, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "Is there something wrong?"

Dawn leaned in to speak confidentially. "Can you keep a secret?"

He just arched an eyebrow, making her giggle.

"Ok, ok. Stupid question," she relented. "But the thing is, I went to Dumbledore's office this afternoon and placed the Fidelius Charm on myself. It really wiped me out," she whispered.

Remus' eyes widened. "Dawn, why did you have to do that?"

She shook her head slightly. "It's complicated, Remus, and it's something that you used to know until the Charm took effect. I'll tell you, I promise I will, but just not yet. Ok?" Dawn begged, appealing to him for understanding.

Remus nodded. After all, he knew what it was like to keep things about yourself hidden better than anyone. "Of course, Kitten."

Grateful, Dawn grinned. "Thanks. But now I'm going upstairs to soak in the tub. I might not be at dinner, ok, so don't worry."

"Sure," Remus said, and Dawn surprised him with a quick hug before she disappeared.

He tried to turn his mind back to his reading, but he was losing his patience. All the warring Goblins in his History of Magic textbook sounded exactly the same to him, anyway. He was just gathering his things when someone made that a rather difficult task by sitting on his book. A look of surprise crossed Remus' face, then Isabel was smiling and leaning down for a kiss.

He kissed her back enthusiastically, but there was always a small, nagging voice in the back of his head when he did so now. Every time he looked at her, he was forced to relive their bittersweet night together. Sweet, because it was the most perfect show of love he could ever hope to give and receive, but made bitter by his own lies and deception.

Isabel had somehow ended up in his lap by the time she was pulling back to run a finger along the tired lines of his face. The tiny kiss she placed on top of his nose just about broke his heart. Isabel knew what the look on his face meant at once. She sighed and pulled back a bit, putting a bit of distance between them.

"You're going away again, aren't you?"

Remus hated himself for putting the dejected slump into her shoulders when he nodded. "I'm really, really sorry Isabel. I've got to-"

"Don't," she said abruptly, already sliding off his lap. "I'd rather you didn't say anything at all if you were only going to lie to me."

Remus nodded, feeling like crying, or shouting, doing anything to let out the pain that was burning through him. Sometimes he felt the hateful truth charging up to his lips so determinedly that he had to physically bit his tongue to keep them at bay.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"Me too," Isabel said softly. "I'll see you at dinner."

She took off up to the girls' dorm, but not before Remus thought he caught a couple of tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. He viciously stuffed the rest of his things in his bag and stomped up to his own dorm, fleeing from yet another of his deceptions.

Things were subdued all the way throughout that evening and the next day. Knowing how bad Remus was feeling, the Marauders had kept themselves fairly well quiet, and even Sirius and Dawn had made an effort to snap less at each other while Remus was about. When the sunset approached, Remus said an awkward goodbye to Isabel and slipped away for madam Pomfrey to lead him down to the Whomping Willow.

Dawn was still feeling slightly drained from the effects of the Fidelius Charm, and she knew the boys would be disappearing within minutes anyway, so she slipped upstairs alone.

The dorm was empty, peaceful, Dawn revelled in the quiet as she wandered aimlessly about the large room. Since her long weekend in cage, she'd been much more appreciative of the spaciousness of Hogwarts' rooms. She went to the window, where the plant Hagrid had sent as a get well gift was thriving in the sunlight. Today it had arranged itself to look like a giant question mark.

Dawn looked through the window pane and to the far right, where she could only just make out the form of the Whomping Willow in the grey night. As she watched, the branches froze for a couple of minutes, and when they began to sway again she knew the boys had all gone on to the Shrieking Shack. She wondered, though she doubted, if they would stay there all night this month. They hadn't been foolish enough to talk about it in front of her, but she knew they were still using the full moon to explore the Hogwarts grounds and beyond.

Feeling glum and lonely, Dawn went to lay down. Barely five minutes later, she'd drifted off to sleep.

_

* * *

_

_She felt like she was in two worlds at once, the old and the new. Her mind flickered between the two so rapidly that Dawn started to have trouble keeping them straight in her head. One moment, she was standing at the base of the Whomping Willow while the branches thrashed about but miraculously kept missing her. A heartbeat later, she was standing in a reception hall full of people and even demons, all anxiously awaiting the beginning of the Wedding March._

_She seemed to just know this was Xander and Anya's wedding, and she suddenly wished she was visible to the others in her own dream so that Buffy could see her. She really wanted to tease her about that hideous green bridesmaid dress._

_Then she was back at the Willow again and Prongs was trotting briskly towards her. She started to smile, but as he reached her he put his head down, using the top of his head and his antlers to try to drive her away from the area._

_"What, Prongs?" she whispered, afraid of the way he was behaving. "What's wrong?"_

_Prongs just kept trying to push her away as if he was getting between her and something dangerous. He butted her so hard in the midsection that she stumbled, and when she regained her footing, she was with Xander. He was having visions of his future with Anya, bleak, hurtful visions that Dawn could see as clearly as he could._

_But Dawn could see through it, and something told her Xander was being fooled. She tried to put her hand on his arm to shake him out of it, but never made contact. The images began to assail her non-stop, to the point where she completely lost her balance._

_She fell to the ground, gasping. She could see Xander standing in the rain, Anya crying in a dank cave. Padfoot barked at her. Shadows loomed dangerously close._

_Anya's voice was wailing, "What do you mean, Xander's missing?", and one of the thicker branches of the Whomping Willow pounded the earth right by her head until the ground shook. IT was all too much for Dawn, the dizziness was nauseating._

_An eerie voice whistled about her. "When it's bad, she won't choose you… She'll be against you…"_

_"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Dawn shrieked, clamping her hands over her ears like a child trying to block out the scary things going bump in the night._

_As if obeying her, everything went still. Dawn's chest was heaving with each breath as she looked cautiously around for more signs of danger. Several moments passed, and she was encouraged by the sense of peace around her to lower her hands and then she breathed a sigh of relief._

_She allowed herself to relax too soon. The world seemed to explode around her, images running each other over in their haste to assault her mind. The world seemed to have been put on mute, she couldn't hear a thing._

_She saw the most beautiful, multicoloured glass she'd ever seen fall to the hard floor and shatter into a million pieces. She saw a set of strong, destructive jaws, the jaws of a werewolf, closing around and tearing the flesh of a female arm. Dawn, paralysed with horror, could not manage to shift the few inches it would take to be in a position to see the girl's face. She had no idea who it was._

_Then, before she could even try to understand the scene she was whisked away to the argument of a much older Xander and Anya. Something in Xander snapped as the argument continued to heat up. He lifted the frying pan in front of him and swung it at Anya's face with all his might._

* * *

"No!" Dawn shrieked. Her eyes sprang wide open, afraid she would see the damage of that frying pan if she allowed them to close again. There were tears running down her cheeks, by the time she'd brushed them away Lily was at her bedside.

"Dawn, it's ok," she said, reaching to grab her hand. "It was just a dream, whatever it was."

Dawn sniffled and looked about the dorm. Lily was the only other girl in there, from the masses of books spread over her bed it was evident she'd been in the middle of a major study session.

"Where's everyone else?" Dawn asked, now massaging her temples.

Lily glanced away. "I don't know where Michelle and Candice are," she said evasively.

Something in her voice made Dawn sit up a little straighter. "And Isabel?" she prodded.

"She needed to clear her head, Dawn. She went for a walk, don't make a fuss over it," Lily murmured.

The base of Dawn's spine began to tingle like someone was dropping ice-cubes down the back of her shirt. All of a sudden, that vision of a werewolf sinking its teeth into some girl's arm seemed so much more real. She seized Lily's wrist and squeezed tight enough to cut off the circulation.

"Lily, where exactly did she go?" Dawn asked, her voice shaking with the effort of trying to remain calm.

Lily frowned, trying to pull her arm away. "What's got into you? She wanted some fresh air, so she went outside for a while. She likes the grounds."

"We've got to get her back in," Dawn ordered, dragging Lily towards the door. "NOW!"

The Prefect finally managed to break free of Dawn's grip. "Stop, Dawn! I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."

Dawn closed her eyes and then opened them again. it was obvious Lily wasn't going to budge, arguing with her would only waste precious time. Her stomach was writhing; she really didn't want to do this.

"Look, Lily, this is life and death here. I'm going to tell you some things about my friends that are very closely-guarded secrets. You're my friend too and I love you dearly, but if you _ever_ betray any of these secrets, I'll kill you with my bare hands. Understood?"

Lily, her eyes widening, nodded. "Yeah. I take a Wizard's Oath on it. I swear I won't tell."

Dawn silently prayed to her friends for forgiveness.

"Remus is a werewolf."

Lily gasped. But Dawn could see that she was already slotting the clues into place in her mind and pressed on. She couldn't afford to waste time letting Lily adjust to the revelations.

"This year the other boys became Animagi in secret so that they could spend the full moon with him. He's supposed to stay confined, but with those four together, they could be anywhere on the grounds by now."

Despite the shock, Lily was catching on remarkably quickly. "Isabel…"

Without another word, they were both running as hard as they could. They burst out onto the steps, pausing to catch their breath while they scanned the scene before them for signs of life. The full moon provided their light to see by, hanging low and ominous in the sky. Though the air was beginning to warm, Dawn shivered. She could see goose bumps raised on Lily's arms, too.

"Let's go," Dawn said, pulling her wand and marching into the night. "Keep your wand out and your eyes peeled for anything moving."

Slowly, carefully, they prowled through the grounds. Lily wanted to call out for Isabel, but was too afraid of what other attention she would attract in the process. They were as silent as possible, fearing that every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves heralded a snarling werewolf stalking them.

As they passed a thick bush along the border of the Forbidden Forest, it gave a particularly violent shake. Both girls had to stifle petrified screams as a long snout poked through the foliage.

Next moment, a great black dog was emerging before them. Dawn released the breath she'd been holding in relief and lowered her wand. Lily frowned, recognising the animal.

"Hey, isn't that the dog Sirius trained…" her words died out as it dawned on her that the dog was, in fact, Sirius himself

Padfoot growled, but Dawn didn't back down. "Where's Moony?" she demanded.

Padfoot turned his head, indicating a little ways through the trees. Dawn nodded to show her understanding.

"Get him back to the Shrieking Shack now! Isabel's out here somewhere and we can't find her."

Barking, Padfoot tore through the trees to round up the other Marauders and get Moony back where he was supposed to be.

"Unbelievable," Lily murmured.

She and Dawn redoubled their efforts looking for Isabel. Dawn wished she had thought to bring the Map, but knew it was too late to consider going back for it now. She wouldn't want to leave Lily alone out here, anyway. There was a commotion behind them, the two girls turned to see Padfoot and Prongs wrestling Moony towards the Whomping Willow. It was obvious Moony had caught the scent of humans close by, it was taking all the force the others could muster to keep him from breaking loose.

Instinctively, Dawn and Lily began backing up, putting as much distance between themselves and the werewolf as possible and ready to break into a run. Just beyond the struggling animals, the Whomping Willow had frozen stiff, Dawn realised Peter must have pressed the knot in the tree's base.

Dawn froze herself. There was movement on the far side of the tree, as though someone had come to investigate its mysterious paralysis. Dawn choked on a horrified sob as Isabel stepped out of the shadow of the tree, looking vulnerable bathed in the moonlight.

Lily screamed. "Isabel! Run!"

There were a few prolonged seconds of nothing happening. Then everything happened at once. Isabel stopped and looked up, only just realising what was going on around her. Because Padfoot and Prongs had been focusing all their strength on forcing Moony away from Lily and Dawn, when he turned to investigate the new scent, there was nothing between him and Isabel.

With a howl, he lurched forwards. Prongs and Padfoot scrambled after, but he'd broken free of their restraint. Isabel was too shocked to move. Lily was screaming incessantly now. Dawn shoved her away from the fray.

"Stay back!" she said, and without a second thought, she charged forwards.

Isabel's eyes widened as Moony leapt at her. By the time she snapped out of her shock enough to understand that she needed to move, it was too late. She took a step, which kept Moony from pouncing squarely on her, but his jaws were snapping in a frenzy every which way. They found Isabel's arm. Jagged razor teeth tore the skin open, spilling blood that seemed to send Moony completely wild.

Padfoot and Prongs bowled Moony aside, forcing him back towards the tunnel opening. Shaking violently with pain and shock, Isabel fell in a bloodied heap on the ground.

Dawn reached her and without hesitation looped an arm about her waist to haul her up. Prongs and Padfoot were still trying to drive Moony back, but the werewolf was like a shark who'd smelled blood in the water. He almost got loose again, hindered at the last moment by Padfoot leaping on his back to tackle him down.

"Come on," Dawn grunted, trying to make Isabel move on her unsteady legs.

But Isabel was beyond the capability of helping herself. She stared at the broken skin of her arm in a daze and barely noticed Dawn's struggles to get her to safety. Lily had stopped screaming, but she choked up with fear as Moony slipped out of the clutches of Padfoot and Prongs again and came at the girls.

Dawn's enormous eyes widened even further and a tiny whimper escaped her lips as Moony drew up on his hind legs and let out another howl. She didn't know what to do. Isabel wouldn't move. Dawn knew they were both dead if she didn't run, but how could just leave Isabel at the mercy if a vicious wolf? Dawn put her own body between Isabel and Moony and closed her eyes, squeezing them shut tight and praying it would be quick.

Something hard butted into Dawn's chest. She flew backwards, taking Isabel with her as she collapsed on the ground. She opened her eyes in surprise, just in time to see Prongs whirl around and renew his attack on Moony.

Lily was rushing forwards, too, and between the two of them, she and Dawn were finally able to get Isabel up and moving. When they were a safe distance away, Dawn turned back just in time to see the Marauders disappearing down below the Whomping Willow at last. Lily had a hold of Isabel's arm with trembling fingers.

"Oh God. There's so much blood!"

* * *

"Come on, Isabel," Dawn grunted, still having to force the shell-shocked girl into every step. "We're almost there."

Lily had run ahead to warn Madam Pomfrey, who met them at the entrance to the Hospital Wing. Dawn almost cried as she crossed the threshold. This was one place she was hoping to never have to visit again, and the fact that it was one of her friends in need of treatment this time made it seem even worse to her.

Isabel was bundled onto a bed, where Madam Pomfrey took one look at her arm and grimaced. "Werewolf bite? This is severe, you'd better fetch the Headmaster."

Dawn charged for the exit, but the doors swung open before she could reach them. Dumbledore was revealed in the entry, looking even taller and more impressive than usual.

"What's going on here?" he asked sharply.

Lily wasn't looking in such great shape for telling stories; her skin had gone beyond milky white and her teeth were chattering, and Isabel wasn't in great shape for anything, so it was up to Dawn. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, trying to find a way to protect all her friends. She decided the best thing would be not to offer anything that he would be able to turn around on her and confuse her into a confession.

"She… she wandered off outside, Sir. She got bit," she said, not only by the lies she was about to tell, but by the impact this would have on Isabel for the rest of her life.

"Why was Miss Whitman outside?"

Dawn shrugged, her eyes trying valiantly not to fill with tears. "She told Lily she needed to take a walk to clear her head. I was asleep," she mumbled.

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I assume you know of the measures taken to keep our resident lycanthrope safely away from others during the full moon?"

Dawn, trying not to look the Headmaster directly in the eye, gave a soft not of acknowledgement. She fixed her eyes on the curtain Madam Pomfrey had drawn around Isabel, feeling torn. She couldn't take back all the damage that had been done by exposing what the boys were up to, but she could cause even more of an uproar. Not having to look at Isabel made the sacrifice a little easier to make, but she had a feeling she'd carry the guilt for the rest of her life.

"Well?" Dumbledore prodded when it became apparent Dawn wasn't going to expand on the situation of her own accord. "How did he escape?"

Shooting a furtive glance at Lily to see if she was about to start screaming about Animagi and rule-breaking, Dawn put up a defensive wall about her mind. She suspected Dumbledore had ways of seeing right through her lies if she didn't guard the truth with everything she had.

"I don't know," she said. "He… He must've been near the entrance, and the Whomping Willow had stopped moving. Isabel went to investigate… it just happened."

Dumbledore was staring deep into her eyes. Dawn wanted to flinch, but didn't dare move to do it. she concentrated on blocking up her mind, knowing that the anguish burning in her eyes that she couldn't get rid of was understandable. After countless long, strained seconds passed, Dumbledore relented with his gaze.

She knew he sensed there was more to the story that Dawn was concealing, but he seemed willing to accept what she'd said. Or was he?

"Miss Evans?" he said, turning his attention to Lily. "Did you happen to see anything more than that?"

Both girls knew he was appealing to Lily's sense of honesty to fill him in on the whole situation. Lily was quiet and contemplative for so long, Dawn began to think she was planning the best way to turn them all in. then she gave a little shake of her head.

"It happened so fast," she whispered. "Dawn pushed me back away from the danger, while she started to run for Isabel. I was just screaming and screaming. And then I remember the werewolf stumbling back into the tunnel… like it got tangled in the roots of the tree or something… And I went to help Dawn get Isabel away."

A moment later she burst into tears. Only Dawn had a vague feeling the main heartbreaker for Lily was that she's just, in effect, betrayed Isabel by not telling the whole truth about what had happened. Dumbledore touched her arm in one of his moments of grandfatherly affection.

"It's all right, Lily," he said in his raspy voice. "It was brave of you both to go after your friend. But why not come for a Professor, instead of just charging into danger yourselves?"

By now, Dawn had begun to cry as well. "I'm sorry. I didn't think. I had a dream about someone getting bit and when I woke up and Isabel was already gone, I panicked. I just wanted to get her back inside!" she cried, shuddering until the Headmaster was comforting her as well,

Madam Pomfrey stepped out and relayed Isabel's injuries to Dumbledore in a low voice. She said she'd explained the extent of her new condition to her, and was certain Isabel understood that she was now a werewolf and would transform with each full moon, but had been so despondent she'd barely even blinked at the diagnosis. Her only question had been regarding the identity of the werewolf who had done this to her. She was now sleeping under the influence of a Dreamless Sleep potion.

Lily crept up with the Matron to peek in on Isabel, but Dawn refused. She didn't want to see. She hung back from the curtain, feeling so alone she even forgot Dumbledore was right with her.

"This is all my fault."

She hadn't realised she'd though aloud until the man she'd forgotten was there responded.

"How could this be your fault, Dawn?" he asked, looking at her with troubled eyes.

"It's always my fault," Dawn said, her tone deadened. "Ever since I got here, things have been going wrong for people. I made Sirius' family practically disown him. One day James will get sick of me tagging along with his. I let Peter go on with his pointless crush on me until it almost ripped the four of them apart forever. I guess it was about time I made Remus suffer, too."

"You mustn't think that, my dear," the calm voice countered. "Many things you think you have caused would have happened one way or another whether you had come to this world or not. You did a noble thing, trying to help a friend despite the personal risk. You may have even saved Isabel's life. A sad thing has happened, but do not take responsibility for it just because you were unable to prevent it. Do not blame yourself."

Not really buying a word of it, Dawn failed to respond. Instead she ran, not stopping until she was back in Gryffindor tower. It wasn't curfew yet, and Michelle and Candice hadn't returned to the dorms. Dawn paced up and down numbly, until Lily came in a few minutes after her.

"How's Isabel?"

"You should've looked in on her yourself," Lily snapped.

Dawn looked stung by the words.

"I didn't mean that," Lily sighed. "I don't know what I mean."

Dawn looked down. "You covered for us…"

"I had to," Lily said, throwing herself down on her bed despite the books still covering it. "I took a Wizard's Oath on it, I was bound to honour it no matter what."

Tentatively, Dawn crept closer to the Prefect's bed. "Well… do you regret it?"

Lily let out another burdened sigh. "Yes. But at the end of the day, it wouldn't change anything if I told, would it? All the confessions in the world can't take it back now."

Dawn was crying again. She couldn't help but feel responsible. If she'd somehow acted on her vision sooner, or remembered the Marauders' Map to locate Isabel faster, she could've stopped it from happening. Maybe she was just cursed, and everything she touched would eventually turn to ash.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"Maybe we should just go to bed," Lily said, knowing very well that neither of them would be sleeping at all that night.

* * *

Remus was feeling disoriented still when Madam Pomfrey came to collect him. The other Marauders had disappeared the moment the moon began to wane, looking sombre, even frightened. He didn't understand the looks, but figured it had something to do with the vague feeling of uneasiness and the scent of blood he couldn't quite shake.

"Do you remember anything about last night?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she helped him through the tunnel.

"N-no," Remus said, a strange tremble in his voice.

"I think it best I prepare you now," she responded softly, and proceeded to tell him everything Dawn and Lily had told Dumbledore.

Remus went numb. "Isabel?"

"Received the bite," Madam Pomfrey confirmed sadly. "She'll become a werewolf herself with the next full moon."

He dropped to his knees at the foot of the castle steps and vomited. His violent retching seemed to go on and on until there was nothing that could possibly be left in him. 'Not her,' he kept thinking. 'Not her, not her, not her.'

The Matron was rubbing his back while she vanished the mess. When he felt ready, he struggled to his feet and continued on. Every step now was bringing him closer and closer to his worst nightmare. A nightmare of his own creation.

At the doors to the Hospital Wing, he almost faltered again. But he knew he at least owed it to Isabel to face her, to let her judge and condemn him, and with that thought he pushed on. She was laying in a bed with the curtains pulled back. Although her face was turned away, one look at the tension in her body confirmed that she was awake.

Pulling away from Madam Pomfrey's supportive grip, Remus limped to the foot of his girlfriend's bed and stared at her.

"Isabel?"

She didn't answer him. He took a shaky breath and moved up the side of the bed. She didn't even blink, although she could feel his eyes on her face.

"Isabel, I'm s-"

She didn't even have the energy to roll her body away, but she turned her head from him. Accepting it, Remus left her alone. His eyes were full of tears as he went back to Madam Pomfrey.

"I don't think I should stay here," he said hoarsely.

To his surprise, Madam Pomfrey did not create a fuss over the suggestion. Unbeknownst to Remus, Dumbledore had suggested they let Remus go wherever he chose, and let him be wherever his quest for comfort would take him. She simply gave him something to help with the physical pain and sent him on his way.

The Marauders were waiting up in the dorm. James went to grab his shoulder, but Remus shook him off, going into the bathroom and shutting the door without a word.

The entire day was sickening, with six Gryffindors barely able to manage speaking to each other. A few people had enquired after Isabel, and one of the group would mumble that she was sick and become as sullen as Snape when the Marauders had manufactured giant posters of him dancing about in frilly pink knickers.

Lily and Dawn tried visiting Isabel at lunch, considering neither of them could even entertain the thought of food themselves. But Isabel had barely even acknowledged their presence, and Madam Pomfrey had sent them away again after only ten minutes.

Undeterred, Lily vowed she would go straight back again after classes ended. Dawn was planning on joining her, but as the final bell sounded James grabbed her hand to indicate she should stay with the boys. They stole away from their classmates and holed up in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The ghost floated out of a stall, took one look at all their faces, and zipped right back into the U-bend.

For a few minutes, nobody seemed to know where to begin. They all sat around looking stupidly at each other until someone scraped up the courage to speak.

"I still don't understand how this could happen," Peter said quietly.

"Yes," Sirius said, his voice taking on the hardness now customary for when he spoke to Dawn. "How _did_ this happen?" he demanded of her.

They all expected her to rise to the bait, but Dawn was so subdued she couldn't even raise her eyes. "I fell asleep, had a vision of someone being bitten-"

"You had a vision of this? Then why didn't you stop it?" Sirius followed doggedly. He knew that the only reason he was so upset was because of his own guilt, but at this point he was willing to try anything to push it away from himself. Even heap it all onto his ex-girlfriend's frail-looking shoulders.

"B-by the time I woke up she was already g-gone," Dawn stammered at her feet. "She didn't know."

"You're right," Remus said, his face contorting with self-loathing. "She didn't know. She didn't know because I was too much of a coward to tell her!"

"Oh, Remus, no," Dawn breathed, looking up at last to hold his gaze. "No, Rem, it's not your fault. I could've done something different, I should've stopped her. I-"

"Did you bite her?" Remus whipped out, stealing the rest of Dawn's words from her lips before she could utter them. "Then how is it your fault?"

She hung her head once more.

Remus was getting more and more worked up by the second, his eyes taking on a wild look. "I… I can't… I've got to get out of here," he blurted. He ran for the exit before anyone could react. There was a moment of tension in his wake.

"Someone should go after him," James muttered as an excuse before walking out himself.

Peter looked between the two others remaining in the bathroom. Dawn was cowering against the tiled wall in defeat, while Sirius looked as if self-control was slipping further and further from his grasp by the heartbeat. He didn't even speak, just ran out in pursuit of James and Remus.

Dawn realised she'd been left alone with Sirius and couldn't bring herself to look up at him. Sirius began to pace through his frustrations.

"Way to make Remus feel even more guilty," he said, his voice quiet and bitter.

"I'm sorry," Dawn said, child-like and small.

"Sorry?" Sirius scoffed.

"Yes," Dawn said. Then it was as if she'd been shocked back into life all of a sudden. "I'm sorry! Sorry for everything, ok? I've done nothing but systematically ruin all your lives since I got here, I know that. I wish I could take it all back, you all would've been better off if I'd never fallen into this damn dimension. I should've just died!"

Sirius stopped breathing as Dawn turned and fled. She wasn't crying, but somehow that made him feel worse. If she was crying, he could just brush her outburst off as her way of venting. But she really did believe this was her doing. Sirius didn't like that. It felt good to blame her, but it was frightening to know she blamed herself for so much.

Who knew what all that guilt would do to her?

* * *

One girl walked through the darkened castle, separated and alone. Her eyes were bleak with devastation, the kind of devastation that could take a person well beyond tears.

She hugged herself as she shuffled along with her head down. Her feet seemed to know exactly where to take her anyway. She just couldn't understand how this had happened. Why was she cursed? Cursed to a lifetime of pain and suffering not lonely for herself, but for everyone around her. Sooner or later, everything she touched would be destroyed.

It was with this thought that the girl emerged into the open air. She didn't come to the Astronomy Tower often, and with no classes scheduled it was deserted. The grey stones were as barren as her insides felt. She was completely numb and the whole world seemed to have slowed to a crawl around her. With coldly measured steps she went to the edge of the highest turret and looked out. The grounds looked the same as they always did. Once, they were breathtakingly beautiful. Now, they were just grounds.

She wondered what they'd look like tomorrow.

She didn't remember making up her mind, but she knew exactly what she was doing as she stepped up onto the wide stone ledge. Out here, she felt free from the shackles her life had slapped around her wrists and ankles. Her eyes were wide open but her face was eerily blank.

She jumped.

There was the sound of rushing air all around her, and then came the silence.

She blacked out.

She died.

* * *

**I'm cackling in a very sinister manner right now**


	31. With Or Without You

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. The Buffy stuff is still Joss Whedon's, the Harry Potter stuff is still JK Rowling's, and With Or Without You (more pointless personal trivia here) is the only song my U2 that I can stand.

**A.N:**I am SO, SO sorry this has taken so long. I've just gone back to uni & I've got this whole idea this year where I'm actually planning on turning up, so it's taking a lot more of my time than it did last year. I honestly never meant to leave this so long- I was planning to have only a week between posting 'Estranged' and 'With Or Without You'.

Also, an enormous thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. It was by far the most reviews I've ever had for a single chapter, and if I replied to all personally as I usually do, it would take another three days for me to post! But I read & keep every single review I receive, and I truly appreciate and value all your comments.

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY

**With Or Without You**

The Marauders were all moping aimlessly about their dorm in the morning when a knock sounded against the door. None of them could be bothered responding, but Frank Longbottom opened the door and poked his head in anyway.

"Hey, guys," he said. "Um, Professor McGonagall wants to see you all in her office right away."

They all exchanged uneasy glances, knowing the summons could only be related to one thing.

"Did she say why?" James tossed out, in the vain hope of sounding out exactly what McGonagall might know already.

Frank just shook his head. "She's already rounding the girls up, she just said to send you on," he said, then disappeared before they could ask any more questions.

With trepidation stirring in all their stomachs, the four boys wandered down to the Deputy Headmistress' office. McGonagall was waiting with the girls, and it wasn't until they were all seated that they noticed someone was missing.

"Where's-?" James began to ask Lily, but McGonagall shushed him with a wave of her hand.

When they looked closely at the Professor, they could see she'd been crying. None of them would ever have believed her capable. Even as they watched, one more tear seemed to spy its opportunity to escape down her cheek. She sniffed furiously and pulled herself together.

"I'm sorry to have to gather you all here in this manner," she said, her chin wobbling despite her obvious effort to restrain herself. "You notice that one is missing from among you, and it grieves me to be the bearer of such sorrowful news…"

Nobody in the room was moving.

McGonagall steeled herself to continue. "This morning, Hagrid came across the body of Isabel Whitman at the base of the high turret. It would appear that she jumped. I'm very sorry, she's dead."

_She's dead, she's dead, she's dead, she's dead…_

The words seemed to echo into eternity, crumpling all the fifth years one by one.

"No!" Lily shrieked, then dissolved into hysterical tears. Although they were crying themselves, Candice and Michelle immediately wrapped their arms around her.

Peter's teeth were chattering, he'd retreated into a corner to let a few confused tears fall down his pink, pudgy cheeks. Sirius was still staring at McGonagall, waiting for her to dry her eyes, crack a rare smile, and announce that she was just practicing for April Fools' Day.

The whole thing was just too sickening for Dawn. She completely rejected every word McGonagall just said. Isabel wasn't dead; she was in the Hospital Wing. Sure, she was a little withdrawn now, but once she got used to being a werewolf, she'd be fine. It was just going to take some time. That's all she needed, a little time. This wasn't Sunnydale, bad things like this weren't supposed to happen here.

It was then that Dawn decided she hated McGonagall for the lies she was telling.

"Stop it!" she screeched. "You're lying- she's alive!"

She burst out of her seat, diving forwards as if she'd launch herself over the desk of attack McGonagall. James jumped up and grabbed her, just in case. Dawn struggled against him.

"She's alive! She's not dead! You're wrong, she's alive. She can't be dead!"

"Come on, honey," James muttered, pulling her away. "Let's settle down now… Breathe…"

Dawn continued to scream, fighting with James through ever step like a wildcat. Even when they both crashed to the hard floor, it was a few more minutes before she would stop struggling, and even longer still before she would quieten down. James pulled her into his lap and began to stroke her hair while the others looked on as disinterested observers.

All except for Remus. He hadn't moved a muscle or uttered a sound since he'd learned of Isabel's suicide. Each passing second took him deeper and deeper into his own private nightmare. He knew suicide was the wrong word for what had happened to Isabel. It was murder, and he'd never be able to wash the blood off his hands. His girlfriend had been killed by what he was.

"I'm sorry," Professor McGonagall said again, when it appeared they'd all adjusted to the initial shock. "We've sent owls to all your parents, naturally we expect they'll be very concerned, and Professor Dumbledore will certainly arrange for a psychological healer to be brought in from St Mungo's, should anyone feel the need to talk to a professional."

She paused and glanced around to be sure they were all taking it in. But to anyone paying close enough attention, it seemed as if she'd carefully planned her words beforehand. Perhaps she needed to, to be sure she would get it all out.

"Her parents will be arriving to collect her things this afternoon, and you will all be kept informed about the funeral service. As her closest friends, we do hope you'll be attending along with Professor Dumbledore and myself."

They'd all taken on faraway looks, as if funerals were something far too complicated for them to understand. At the thought of seeing her best friend buried, Lily began to cry harder again. McGonagall paused to give them all a moment to catch up with what was happening. Dawn had turned and buried her head into James' chest, as if she could shut it all out. She was still getting over her mother's funeral deep down (and a part of her knew she never really would), she didn't know if she'd survive another so soon.

"You should all know that my door is always open if you ever want to talk about this. Miss Whitman was a wonderful, vibrant girl whom we shall all dearly miss. Professor Dumbledore will be breaking the news of her passing to the student body at breakfast, so if you do not wish to hear this again, there will be breakfast trays in both fifth year dorms. Of course you are all welcome in class, in fact I encourage you to keep yourselves occupied, but for today we shall excuse you if you choose not to attend. Your homework will be delivered to Gryffindor tower this evening."

Sirius lowered his eyes at last, accepting that this really was happening. His head was pounding and he didn't dare look at Dawn. He'd said so many hurtful, horrible things to her last night, but he didn't mean them. He didn't want her thinking this was in any way her fault. If it was anyone's fault, it was his. Dawn had been outright opposed to it, and Remus had voiced his reservations, but Sirius and James had been the foolhardy adventurers, arrogant enough to believe they could play with fire without anyone getting burnt. He bit his lip to stifle the shout that was bubbling up in his throat.

"Do… do any of you have any questions?" McGonagall asked gingerly.

The students just stared at her. Of course they had questions, they had a million questions. But how was she ever going to answer any of them?

"Very well," the Professor sighed, admitting defeat. "You- you're all dismissed. You may go."

Candice and Michelle helped Lily out of the office. Remus followed them in a daze. James glanced at Peter, who was pushing himself out of the corner, and inclined his head towards the doorway to indicate that he should keep an eye on Remus. That taken care of, he looked down at the quivering mess cuddled into him. He reached his hand around to pat her shoulder.

"Come on, Kitten, it's time to move," he said, his voice taking on a heavier, huskier tone. "Can you get up for me?"

Sirius watched her floundering for a couple of seconds before taking pity. He looped his arms around her waist and pulled her up. She wavered, so he held onto her until James could get to his feet and take her back. Dawn was so wrapped up in her own pain she didn't even notice she was being passed about like a helpless child.

James glanced gratefully at Sirius and they started to walk Dawn out. At the door, she suddenly stopped and turned back to McGonagall.

"Her parents are coming today?" she asked, as if that was the only information to have filtered through.

"This afternoon, yes," McGonagall said.

Dawn bit her lip and looked down, uncertain. "Should- should I pack her things? They'll want her things, won't they?"

The Deputy Headmistress looked taken aback by the offer, but forced a nod anyway. "If you want to do that, I'm sure the Whitmans would be grateful."

Dawn nodded and finally let James lead her away. The walk up to Gryffindor tower had never seemed so long, or been so silent as it was that morning. By the time they'd reached the Common Room, the rest of the students who were going to breakfast had already gone.

"I wonder what he'll say," Dawn murmured.

Sirius and James blinked, clearly not expecting to hear her voice for some time. "What's that, Dawnie?"

"Dumbledore. I wonder what he's going to tell everyone about… Isabel," she said, hesitating as if she thought something bad would happen when she said the name.

They stopped in between the two opposite sets of stairs. James looked reluctant to leave Dawn. If he was throwing himself into the role of big brother for her, then he didn't have to stop and look at his own insides. In truth, the prospect was terrifying to him.

"If you want, you can stay in the boys' dorm with me," he offered, hoping for his own sake she would accept.

Dawn hesitated. She glanced from James, to the boys' stairs and finally to Sirius. She bit her lip.

"I don't mind," Sirius said quietly. Fighting just seemed like such a pointless waste of energy now. He didn't want to make anyone hurt anymore, he just wanted the pain to go away.

But Dawn shook her head. "Thanks, but I think I should be up there… Lily… Look after Remus, ok?"

She shot them a final teary look and trotted upstairs to her dorm. She paused in the doorway to look around. Just as McGonagall said, the House-Elves had left four overflowing breakfast trays for them. Candice and Michelle were huddled in two of the cosy chairs in the corner with one of the trays uncovered between them.

But the food on it was barely touched. One piece of toast had a bite taken out of it and there were a couple of spoonfuls gone from the cereal bowl, but for the most part it was all going to waste. Dawn looked for Lily next, but the redhead had locked herself in the bathroom. She went over to knock softly.

"Go away," Lily sobbed.

"Do you need anything, Lily?" Dawn called through the door in response.

"No!" came the blubbered reply, and Dawn decided to leave her be for a while.

She intended not to let herself think too much about it, but to just get on with organising Isabel's things before she lost her nerve. But when she set eyes on Isabel's bed, her resolve crumbled and her legs folded, leaving her piled on the ground and staring up at the suddenly too-daunting task ahead of her.

Over in the boys' dorm, the tension was thickened by guilt. When James and Sirius had stepped in, they'd found only Peter in there, staring at the trays of food as if he wasn't sure he was really allowed to touch them. The other two boys shared a look.

"Wormtail, where's Remus?" Sirius ventured.

"He went straight into the shower when he got back up here," Peter said. "He didn't even say anything."

A few minutes later, Remus stepped out of the bathroom. He was fully dressed in his uniform and robes. Without even glancing at his dumbstruck friends, he pulled a tray of food to the side of his bed and dug in. The others stared as he ate heartily.

Finally, he looked up and noticed his friends all looking at him, but all he said was, "You should try some of this, Peter. You'll like it."

Peter looked to James and Sirius, not sure what would be the best thing to do. In the end, he slowly reached for a tray and silently joined Remus. Sirius was screwing up his face in a worried frown and James' eyebrows had knitted together in confusion. They shared another look.

"Yeah," James said at last. "Yeah. Good idea, Moony. We should all have something to eat."

He sat next to Peter, while Sirius took a seat next to Remus and tried to make it seem like as normal a meal as possible. Remus didn't seem to notice or care about their efforts. For the first time in all their days at Hogwarts, he was the first to finish. He shoved his tray away, stood, and scooped up his bag.

"Remus, where are you going?" Sirius asked.

"Er, to class. Where else would I be going?"

"Mate… You heard what McGonagall said. you don't have to go to class. You'll only make yourself crazy, maybe you'd be better off staying up here with us."

"I'm going to class," Remus repeated. Then he was gone.

The Professors all looked at him sympathetically, and the other Houses wondered what in the name of Merlin he was doing there, but Remus sat stoically through every class that day. Frank and his Hufflepuff girlfriend Alice (girlfriend thanks largely to Dawn and the boys inviting her to Sirius' birthday party on Frank's behalf) took him under wing during lunch in the Great Hall, but Remus barely seemed to notice. It was his punishment, his penance not to accept any comfort.

Nothing much had changed in the girls' dorm throughout the entire morning. Suffocating in the grief that seemed to cling to the room and unable to find solace in anything the dorm had to offer, Michelle and Candice had fled outside, hoping to find some warmth in the sunshine. But Lily had not left the bathroom and Dawn had not moved from her spot on the floor.

At lunch time, a House-Elf popped into the dorm and vanished the breakfast trays, replacing them with piles and piles of sandwiches. Dawn stared at them for a long time before it occurred to her that Lily might need something to eat.

She got up and took a plate over to the bathroom. When she knocked on the door, she wasn't sure of she should expect a reply or not.

"What?" Lily called in a flat voice, effectively answering Dawn's question.

"Are you hungry in there? I've got sandwiches…" Dawn said, realising how pathetic she must sound. 'Hey, your best friend just died. Here- have a sandwich.'

"I'm not hungry."

Dawn sighed. "I know. But can you please just take a plate? Just in case," she pleaded.

Nothing happened for what felt like a long time. Then Dawn heard the click of the door being unlocked. She pushed it open and went in. Lily was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the wall. Dawn gingerly took a couple of steps in and put the plate on the vanity unit.

"I'm just going to leave these here, ok honey?"

Lily nodded without turning around and Dawn left her in peace. She went back into the main dorm, picked a sandwich up, put it back down, and walked over to Isabel's bed.

With tears dripping off her chin, she pulled the trunk out and put it on the bed Isabel would never sleep in again. Her fingers trembled as she opened everything up and started pulling clothes from the cupboard. She paused when she reached a familiar pale green tank top and smiled through her tears. It was the one Isabel had loaned her on the Hogsmeade night. The night Dawn had spent dancing in Sirius' arms. The night Remus had finally asked Isabel to go out with him.

After a few minutes, Dawn got a hold of herself well enough to put the top away and finish packing Isabel's clothes. She hesitated a bit when it came to going through the personal mementos in the bedside table. Was it really right to be touching her private things?

Her fingers trembled so much she had trouble pulling the drawer open. Careful not to touch anything for too long, Dawn pulled all the trinkets out and packed them in the trunk. After a while, she heard Lily open the bathroom door and come out to watch her work. The sensation of the redhead's eyes on her back was so intense that Dawn had to turn and look at her.

Lily's eyes were so cold and empty that Dawn felt a shudder ripple through her. Her pink lips were pursed together and for a moment it seemed that she was pressing back all the accusations Dawn feared would be flung at her. She lowered her head subserviently. Whatever Lily wanted to throw at her, she deserved it.

She kept working and was surprised when Lily let her be. She drifted a couple of steps closer, but stopped at some invisible line she dared not cross.

"I couldn't do that," she finally admitted.

Dawn tucked the final couple of things away. "I felt like I had to."

Lily's voice was as cold and empty as her eyes. "Does it hurt?"

The lid of Isabel's trunk closed like a coffin being sealed.

"Yes."

"Good. It should hurt."

"It'll never really go away," Dawn promised.

Strangely, Lily's mood seemed abated by the assurance of Dawn's never-ending pain. As if Dawn's feelings of guilt justified something, somehow. They were staring at each other, volumes of thoughts and feelings that would bind then together all their lives passing between them.

It ended with a knock on the door. Professor McGonagall stepped in, leading the distraught forms of Eric and Felicity Whitman. McGonagall had charmed the stairs to allow Mr Whitman to climb them. Felicity let out an enormous sob and she and Lily threw themselves at each other, both embracing someone who wasn't really there anymore.

Feeling like an intruder, Dawn retreated into the bathroom to pack all of Isabel's cosmetics into her toiletries case. When she returned, Lily had pulled back and everyone in the dorm was wiping their eyes. She stood near Isabel's bed with the toiletries case, looking like a lost little girl.

"Have you finished, Miss Summers?" McGonagall asked.

"This is the last of it," Dawn murmured timidly, placing the case on top of the trunk.

She stepped back quickly as Mr and Mrs Whitman approached. They looked at the trunk for a long time and then looked at Dawn.

"Thank you," Mr Whitman said.

Dawn, too guilty to respond, just shook her head. Mrs Whitman grasped the toiletries case while her husband seized the trunk. With a last look at the girls, and a melancholy glance around the room their daughter had called home for the majority of the last five years, they headed dejectedly out the door. McGonagall flashed a look of approval at the girls for their efforts and left after the Whitmans.

Lily went to lay on her bed and cry. Dawn watched her for a moment, then fled the room. She crossed the Common Room at a run, not slowing down until she'd reached her destination and knocked.

She was still out of breath when the door swung open. Sirius stared at her, chest heaving, hair wild, eyes swirling with pain.

"Is… Is James here?" she managed after a moment.

Sirius swung to door wider, revealing an empty dorm. "Gone to the Owlery with Wormtail. Peter wanted to send a letter to his folks."

Dawn looked down. "Ok. Could you tell him I stopped by, then?"

She turned away, but Sirius grabbed her arm and turned her back.

"You can come in and wait for him. He'll want to see you." What he was really trying to say was, 'I'm sorry I blamed you. I'm a stupid git and you need to know that this isn't your fault.' But he was only human, and an emotionally distressed teenage boy at that. He didn't know how to say those words.

Dawn awkwardly slipped by to let him close the door. Out of habit, she went straight to Sirius' bed, only realising what she'd done when she sat down. She got up and went to James' bed. Sirius sat back down. Several minutes ticked by with the pair of them avoiding each other's gazes and trying to think of something to say.

"So, is Remus around? How's he doing?" Dawn finally asked.

Sirius shrugged and let out a gruff sigh. "I honestly don't know how he's doing. He's been in class all day."

"In class?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

Neither spoke again. James and Peter came back a little while later, James clutching a couple of envelopes in his hand.

"From Mum and Dad," he explained, handing one to Dawn.

He piled onto the bed next to her so they could read them together. By the time she'd finished reading, Dawn was surprised to find tears running down her face again. She hadn't noticed them while reading. Her foster parents had written hat they were sorry, they knew how much they were all hurting and they hated that the couldn't protect her from that. They confessed Dumbledore had told them of her feelings of guilt and they stressed that none of this was her fault and help was only ever an owl away if she needed anything, including someone to talk to. Then they concluded by promising to be there for the funeral, for as long as she and James would need them.

From the dampness in James' eyes as he put his letter aside, Dawn guessed his letter had said much the same thing. He opened his arms, and she crawled into them at once.

"I don't know if Lily will ever really forgive me," Dawn murmured a while later.

"What for, Kitten? You didn't do anything wrong," James said, wishing he could just take all their guilt and bury it.

"I made her lie about what really happened. I made her take a Wizard's Oath and she had to lie to Dumbledore," she choked.

All three boys in the dorm stiffened. Seeing their reactions, Dawn sat up, pulled herself together, and explained in detail everything that had happened on the night Isabel was bitten. The boys looked petrified.

"Evans knows?" James whispered. "Everything?"

"Everything," Dawn confirmed heavily. "I still think she won't tell, but she'll resent us for it forever. She already said she's glad I'm hurting. I guess she has a right…"

"No, she doesn't."

To everybody's surprise, it was Sirius who had spoken. "How were you to know what would happen when you swore her to secrecy? None of this is your fault, don't let her bully you into thinking it is."

Slowly, Dawn nodded, though it was clear she was still undecided as to who she should believe. She decided to go back and see how Lily was, after promising James she would come back to see him before the night was through.

Remus came in after the day's classes were finished. He muttered a 'hello' and a distracted 'fine' when the boys asked how he was, then tore right into a pile of homework. He paused only for a short dinner break, and only because Sirius was threatening to force-feed him.

Later that night, McGonagall called a House meeting with the older years in the Common Room. When Lily came downstairs, Dawn was already situated with the Marauders. She looked at them through shuttered eyes for a few long seconds, then went to sit away from them with Candice and Michelle. Frank hurried a few straggling first year students up to their dorms and nodded to the professor.

"By now you all know of the tragic passing of Isabel Whitman," she began, and a few sympathetic gazes automatically flicked towards the fifth years. "And I need to discuss the funeral arrangements with you."

"So soon?" one of the seventh year boys muttered, his voice just deep enough to carry across the room.

"Yes, the Whitmans chose not to delay. When someone so young is taken, it is not so uncommon for the parents to wish to lay them to rest as quickly as possible. The service will indeed be tomorrow, held in a West London Church and commencing at midday. All those wishing to attend should inform me before breakfast is over in the morning."

There were a few minutes of digesting the news, and then McGonagall dismissed all but the fifth years. They remained in their seats and when the Common Room cleared, the Professor came to sit with them. Silently, she handed all but Remus their missed homework and took a deep breath.

"Are you all going to attend the funeral tomorrow?"

She looked around to see eight heads nodding.

"I'd like to discuss it quietly with you now, so you all know what to expect," she explained.

Dawn closed her eyes. The memory of her mother's coffin being lowered was burned into her heart forever. She knew what to expect. From the gleam in his eye, Sirius was remembering his father's funeral and thinking exactly the same thing.

"As her year-mates and closest friends, the Whitmans have requested you all join them after the Church service, for the burial and then the wake," McGonagall intoned. "You will be Port-Keying to the Leaky Cauldron at 10.30, where some of your parents will be waiting to drive you to the Church. They'll bring you back to the Leaky Cauldron after the wake, and you will return to the school via the floo network. Any questions, thus far?" she asked, to give them a break.

Peter raised his hand. "Whose parents are coming?" he asked timidly.

The Professor consulted a small list in her hand. "The Evans' have offered to bring the two girls along with Lily," she said, glancing in the direction of Candice and Michelle. "Mr Pettigrew, you will go with the Lupins, and your mother has sent word that she will be at the Whitmans' when you arrive for the wake. I believe she's offered to take care of the catering. And of course the Potters will be taking care of their two charges and Mr Black."

They all nodded. That made sense. Dawn and James shared a glance, comforted by the confirmation that their parents really would be there throughout the whole thing.

"You should all wear your uniforms, but as we will be mingling with the Muggle world you will not require your robes. Be sure to bring your sweaters as it may get cold towards the evening. Try to eat some breakfast, you'll need your strength," McGonagall said with a burdened sigh. As a professor, this very situation was her greatest fear. "Miss Evans, do you require any assistance preparing your remarks?"

Lily, who had been asked by Felicity Whitman to say a few words at the funeral, gave a mute shake of her head. McGonagall studied her for a long moment, then turned the same penetrating look towards Remus.

"And you, Mr Lupin? The offer still stands, if you would like the opportunity to say a few words."

"I'd rather not," Remus returned mildly, ignoring the way everyone was suddenly looking at him.

"Very well. I shall leave you to it now. Do try to get some rest," McGonagall advised as her parting remarks.

They all looked at each other in her wake. Remus brought his hands together and stood. "Right. Well, you heard the woman- let's all get to bed."

Remus, who by now the others had all figured out was in some form of denial, was the only one who got any sleep that night. When the rest convened in the morning, they were all looking tired and drawn. Lily was the worst, she looked completely ill, but had a quiet determination cloaked about her that would not let anybody coddle her.

They'd dressed as McGonagall directed and all went to the Great Hall to try and eat some breakfast. None of them managed to eat much at all, not even Remus. It was Peter, with a record seven mouthfuls, who ate the most. Dawn looked on quietly. She hadn't even made it though half a slice of toast. They decided not to go back to the Common Room, but to wait in the Entrance Hall when the other students filed off to class.

"James…" Dawn whispered as the clock struck 10:20. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Me either," he confided. "Let's just keep breathing for a start and see how we go, ok Kitten?"

McGonagall arrived and fitted them all with black armbands, which were also to serve as their Port-Keys to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Professor Dumbledore and myself will be accompanying the other students to the Service on the Knight Bus. The moment those Port-Keys activate you're under the care of your parents for the day. I'm happy to say I have enough faith in my students to think I do not need to discuss maturity and behaviour with you today of all days," she said, then glanced at her watch. "One minute."

As the countdown began, Dawn's hand automatically found James', and after a moment James was squeezing back just as tight. There was a jerk behind all their navels, as if they were nothing more than fish being reeled in whether they were ready or not, and a moment later they were standing (or stumbling) in the Leaky Cauldron.

Harold and Cecilia pulled Dawn and James close, and then Cecilia reached out to pull Sirius into the mix with them. Dawn, her face buried in Harold's chest and her hand still clasped in James', pain attention to nothing around her until she absolutely had to. All her year-mates were being fussed over by the parents, one by one being pulled together just enough to head out to the Church. Remus was still behaving frighteningly all right, so the Lupins and Peter left first. Lily was bawling in her mother's arms when Dawn pulled up and stood on her own again.

Cecilia kissed them all. "Are you ready to go? It's just over an hours' drive to the Church."

"No," James mumbled, answering for all of them. "But let's go anyway."

Harold stopped for a brief moment to confer with Mr Evans, who said he knew the way and promised to be along shortly, and then they were all piling into a dark blue car, the Potters' classic Mercedes. Being the slimmest, Dawn was in the middle. Her curiosity of London was still as bright as a tourist's, and if she had the energy, she would've been crawling all over James and Sirius to see out the windows. But today she just stared straight ahead, her eyes watching the little green numbers of the dashboard clock tick over. She didn't even feel the car come to a stop.

"We're here," Harold murmured, pulling the handbrake up and turning the ignition off.

Nobody moved for a few minutes. Around them, more cars were pulling into the car park. Relatives and old friends of Isabel's were slowly gravitating towards the cavernous sandstone Church.

"There's Moony and Wormtail," Sirius murmured, nodding at a patch of grass of to the side. "I wonder if he's starting to feel it yet."

"We should go see him" Dawn said, finally showing some signs of initiative on her own again.

They all got out and went over to where Remus and Peter were waiting with Remus' parents. But when they got there, nobody could find anything to say.

The Evans' arrived ten minutes later with Michelle and Candice, but Lily refused to go anywhere near Dawn and the boys so they stood off to the side, alone. As if following some unspoken command, everyone began to forward into the Church. Dawn signed the attendance book, then kept her eyes lowered as they were ushered into a pew. No matter where she directed her gaze, it seemed that every time she looked up her eyes fell on the glistening coffin already set before the altar.

It seemed like forever, but in reality only minutes passed before the Church was packed with mourners. There was a pew behind Dawn and the Marauders set aside for Hogwarts. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, both dressed in muggle clothing and looking grey with grief, waited until last to lead in the students from other years and Houses who had been friends with Isabel.

Dawn felt Professor Dumbledore touch her shoulder lightly as he passed and felt a little comforted by the gesture. She and James were seated in between Harold and Cecilia, with Sirius on Cecilia's other side. It wasn't long before a grey-headed Minister was stepping up to the altar to begin the Service.

A pained hush fell over the assembly as the opening prayers were recited, most of the people following along in their hymn books and muttering the words under their breath or not saying anything at all.

Remus felt confused, wondering why all this was even happening. He still clung to the hope that this was just an elaborate hoax designed to punish him for being foolhardy and dishonest. Surely, any moment now Dumbledore would stand up and wave his arm to silence the preacher and declare Remus had suffered enough. And then Isabel would push that lid up and bounce out of that coffin with that wonderful energy of hers, smiling and declaring she'd forgiven him. She still loved him.

But the coffin was shut tight, and the large muggle photograph of Isabel's face above it was as still as death. And that was no hoax.

With trembling fingers, Remus looked down and opened his hymn book. His mother silently pointed out where to follow on from and grasped his hand briefly. The Minister began to talk about Isabel's childhood. The Marauders all put their heads down, hating themselves for the parts they'd played in taking away from the world the bright, loving and sensitive person being described to them. Dawn now couldn't tear her eyes away from the coffin, every moment fantasizing about walking up to it and apologising, as if that would make anything better. She must've been fidgeting nervously, because Harold soon had to take her hand in his to help settle her down.

By then the Minister had begun to discuss how proud her parents were when Isabel was accepted to an exclusive boarding school, one of Britain's finest, and invited Professor Dumbledore up to the altar. The Headmaster approached, looking tired and heavy, and nodded his thanks to the Minster.

He took a deep breath and spent a moment gazing out at the congregation before letting his raspy, troubled voice be heard. "I still remember the first time Isabel Whitman set foot in the halls of my school. I remember it well, because a young boy who would become one of her classmates tripped and fell, and Isabel was the first to help him up," he recalled fondly.

Peter went pink at the long-forgotten memory and closed his eyes.

"From that day on, I watched her grow and mature into a delightful young lady, a source of comfort and joy to all those around her. So often it was Isabel who played the peacemaker between friends," Dumbledore said, and Dawn's eyes automatically flicked to Lily. "Isabel was the one always counted on to be there, and she loved to do so. There are few things in the world warmer than the look in her eyes when she was doing something to help one of her friends. I know many of us here today will always wonder what more we could've done to bring the hope to Isabel that she so often brought to us."

Remus cringed. Yes, Isabel had brought him hope and so much more. But she's paid the ultimate price because he'd torn every last shred of her own hope away with the jagged edges of his teeth.

"It is something that will not be forgotten," the Headmaster continued, and his blue eyes, shining with unshed tears rested on Isabel's coffin. "Today we say goodbye to the mind and body of Isabel Whitman, and we set her spirit free. But we carry her memory with us as a dear friend, and she will always walk through our days within us. I wish you peace, Isabel."

Slowly, Dumbledore made his way back to his pew. There were many, many people crying now, and Dawn didn't care that she was one of them. Beside her, James was still fighting it off, but she could see he was losing the battle.

The Minister was encouraging Lily to step up to the altar. He took her hand and led her up the two carpeted steps, and when she turned to face them, everyone could see how frightfully ashen her face had gone. Her lips trembled and she looked for a moment like she would break down before she even began, but the Minister hovered close to whisper in her ear and she regained a little of her courage.

"I don't really know what to say," she offered meekly, and the sea of faces before her offered sympathy in return as they stared back. "I mean, I'm fifteen and I'll never see my best friend again, I can't even begin to think of how to say goodbye."

She stopped and turned towards to coffin, directing her teary words straight to Isabel now. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do without you, Is. For five years you were my best, and for a lot of that time, my only true friend. When we met in first year, I was just a scared little girl in a whole new world, determined to show I was just as smart as anyone else. And everyone either laughed at me for being a know-it-all or tried to change me. Except for you," she said, choking on a sob.

"You were the only person who let me be who I was, and then you made me a better version of that person. You were always there until I understood that I could have my books and brains, and have friends too. I never would've learned to trust anybody if you hadn't taught me that I could trust you. And now you won't be there anymore…" Lily began to cry in earnest at the thought, but managed to quieten herself down enough to wipe her face and carry on.

"All I can say now is that I'm sorry. I don't know if you can hear me somehow, but I'm so sorry. Sorry I let this happen to you, sorry I wasn't there to make you see. There was nothing that could ever make me- make any of us- stop loving you. We should've told you that. I should've told you that a million times. Nobody could ever be the friend you were, Isabel Whitman. Never."

By the time Lily had been helped back to sit down, James had lost his battle. His hand had come up to cover his eyes, pushing his glasses up his forehead as his shoulders jerked with silent sobs. Cecilia's arm went around him, her forehead pressed to his temple and Dawn laid her cheek against his shoulder, offering what comfort she could. Within a few minutes he was clam again, though tears were still falling down his face every now and then.

The Minister returned to his place to conduct the final prayers. He had the congregation rise, and then gave a little nod. As per the Whitmans' request, the four Marauders and two of Isabel's cousins stepped up and around the coffin. Dawn watched the faces of her friends as they each took the dead weight on their shoulders. Peter looked terrified, as if he thought he would trip, or drop it, or make some other blunder. Remus' face was a mask, his dry eyes giving away nothing of what he felt. Sirius and James had both fixed their gazes straight ahead, their eyes burning with rage and anguish, and Dawn was certain she could see guilt churning in there, too.

She started breathing in a more laboured way when the procession began to move. Harold put his hand on her shoulder, and by the time they had passed her pew, she was leaning into him for support. Once the coffin had passed through the thick wooden doors of the Church, people began to file out. The people from magical backgrounds automatically sought each other out, and Dawn overhead McGonagall telling Harold and Mr Lupin that she and Dumbledore would Apparate to the cemetery once they'd seen the other students back onto the Knight Bus.

Slowly, everyone began to head to their cars for the procession to follow the hearse to the burial. Although she was morbidly curious, Dawn decided never to ask any of the boys what it was like to carry a coffin. However, after a few minutes of driving in silence, Sirius decided he wanted to say something about it all on his own.

"I thought it would be heavier," was all he would say, his voice hollow.

The cemetery wasn't far, and soon there was a small gathering about the fresh grave site as Isabel's body was finally laid to rest. They were all given a flower to toss over the coffin, Remus stared at his for a very long moment before dropping it in.

Dawn felt very weak, shaking like a leaf next to Harold, who stood straight-backed and proud. But she didn't care about weakness now. She was overwhelmed by the sight of the coffin being lowered, and turned to hide her face in Harold's broad chest with a sob. Lily was no longer capable of standing on her own. Her legs had given way beneath her, and only her father's hands under her arms kept her from folding up right there on the ground.

As the coffin was lowered out of his sight, Remus reached out as if to snatch it back. He had to stop himself from moving forwards. It was getting too hard to convince himself that Isabel wasn't really in there.

Two chairs had been set for Eric and Felicity Whitman. They looked as if they would sit there until they wasted away to join their only child. Dumbledore stepped away from a now-openly-sobbing McGonagall and went to speak to them. After a few minutes of him quietly murmuring to them, Eric and Felicity were able to stand once more and face the prospect of their daughter's wake.

Several people were already at the Whitman residence when Harold finally parked the car and led them all in. Peter was talking quietly with his mother as he helped her lay the last of the platters of food on the table. She'd been babysitting Romulus, who was too young to attend a funeral, and who was now back in his own mother's care. Dawn could see from the serious, sad look on his sweet little face that he was listening carefully to every word of Mrs Lupin's little talk about how upset people were about Isabel going up to Heaven, and how important it was for him to keep being a good boy.

She forced a smile as she waved at him and then went over to Candice and Michelle, standing quietly in one corner. Michelle touched Dawn's arm as she approached.

"How are you holding up?"

Dawn shrugged. "You?"

"Same."

She nodded and looked around. There was no sign of Lily anywhere, although her parents were on the couch with some of Isabel's relatives. "Do either of you know where Lily is?"

Candice inclined her head towards the stairs. "She went up to Isa - to her room," she mumbled.

"Thanks."

She went upstairs, and it didn't take her long to figure out that the cheery room with the soothing mint green décor was Isabel's. Lily looked tiny, but harsh and blazing with her red hair standing out, perched on the side of the Queen-sized bed and limply holding a plush toy tiger. Dawn took a couple of steps forward.

"Lily?"

"What do you want?" came the dull reply.

Dawn bit her lip, trying not to look at the framed Wizard's photograph of the two best friends set on the dresser. "Well, I just thought maybe we should talk about this. Isn't there anything you want to say?"

"Yeah," Lily said, looking Dawn square in the eye. "You… Remus… The boys… I know you never meant for this to happen. I guess I even know it's not really your fault. It's just a mistake. But my best friend is dead, and right now I hate you for that."

Dawn looked down and nodded. "I understand."

"Get out," Lily responded. She wanted to be alone, and having just told Dawn she hated her for the time being, didn't really care to waste the energy to be polite.

"Ok, I'll go," Dawn said. She went to the doorway, then paused to look back. "But you know I'm not going to leave you alone," she vowed. She didn't want to feel as if she'd made a mess and walked away without helping to pick up the pieces.

She went back downstairs in a daze and barely registered the rest of the afternoon and evening passing by. She did remember Romulus coming to sit on her lap, to give her a big hug and offer to come to Hogwarts and cuddle her all day until she wasn't sad anymore. And she remembered Mom Potter making sure she finished off a glass of juice and a sandwich.

By the time Dumbledore and McGonagall had Apparated back to Hogsmeade, Dawn had fallen asleep on the couch out of sheer emotional exhaustion. When it was time to get the students back to the school, Harold decided he didn't have the heart to wake her and carried her out to the car.

James held the door open while his father settled Dawn into the middle seat, using his wand to guide the seatbelt around her without disturbing her. James and Sirius slid in on either side of her, and as the car began to move, she slumped to the side. Each of the Potters quietly expected Sirius to push Dawn away from him, but his only reaction to her resting against him was to shift so that she would be more comfortable.

The others spent the trip speaking in hushed tones, with Cecilia making sure both of the boys were alright and praising them for the way they'd carried themselves throughout the day. When they were just a couple of minutes away from the Leaky Cauldron, Dawn began to stir.

She opened her eyes, and they immediately widened in surprise as she found herself very overfamiliar and close with Sirius. He pretended not to notice the way she flushed and pulled roughly away, scrubbing at her face with her hands. They all got out of the car together, Harold and Cecilia heading inside to see their charges off through the floo network.

The Lupins and the Evans' were already inside with the rest of the fifth years, and Candice and Michelle were the first to step into the green flames and whirl away. The parents fussed over the six still remaining for a little while before gently pushing them to go on their way.

Peter smiled slightly at the adults before heading back to Hogwarts, Lily and Remus going right behind him. Cecilia kissed the final three again, and Dawn stole one last hug from Harold's arms before following James' instructions for using the floo network.

She stood in the grate, dropped the glittering powder and called "Gryffindor Common Room," just as the others had done. Then she felt her whole body spinning out of control, her mind almost going insane over the notion of flying through a chimney. It ended as suddenly as it began, Dawn fell on the floor in Gryffindor Common Room coughing, and with heavy soot clinging to her.

Peter, Lily and Remus were still there. Dawn lifted her head and paused, taking in the scene. Remus was standing in front of the long leather couch, beginning to shake. Lily and Peter stood back, like they were standing by for the bomb due to blast at any second.

"Remus…" Dawn whispered and scrambled up to go to him.

His shaking only deepened and he looked at Dawn with mounting desperation. "It's real, isn't it? That just really happened?" he whispered, his eyes begging her to say it wasn't so.

Dawn nodded jerkily, tears gathering one more time. "Yes, honey, it did."

Remus broke down. His whole body was wracked with the most horrible, gut-wrenching sobs any person was capable of. Dawn flung her arms around him and squeezed with everything she had. A moment later, Lily, crying just as hysterically as Remus, hugged him from behind. However she felt at the moment, deep down she didn't really blame anyone, and Remus' grief was calling out to her own more deeply than she could've imagined.

Peter was hovering near as the heart spit out Sirius, and then James. Dawn reached out and pulled him into the embrace so that Remus was covered on three sides. Neither of the other boys even spoke when they saw what was happening before them. James went straight to Dawn, wrapping his arms around as much of both her and Remus as he could manage. After a few moments, Sirius did the same for Lily.

Soon the weight of their grief was too much to bear and the group fell to the side as one, sprawled against the couch. When Dumbledore stopped in a while later to check that they'd arrived back safely, he found the six of them asleep just like that, all tangled together. He stood by in silence for a little while, just watching, and then floated a blanket over to cover them while they slept wrapped up in each other's comfort.

**

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**

**A.N:**I'm guessing that would've been different to whatever people were expecting, and I experimented with the lack of scene breaks. Let me know what you think of anything & everything about this chapter!

Anoron


	32. She's Like The Wind

**Disclaimer:**All things Harry Potter are JK Rowling's. All things Buffy the Vampire Slayer are Joss Whedon's. She's Like The Wind is by Patrick Swayze. Not mine.

**A.N:**Just a little non-chapter, and interlude to give everyone a moment to catch my breath. Also a thank you from me to everyone who has ever read and reviewed this story. I value you all more than you could imagine. And my was of apologising for having the last chapter so late in coming. Love you all! XX00

* * *

INTERLUDE

**She's Like The Wind**

_She's like the wind through my tree_

_she rides the night next to me_

_she leads me through moonlight, only to burn me with the sun_

_she's taken my heart, but she doesn't know what she's done_

Sirius felt the dead emptiness settle within the pit of his stomach and vaguely identified it as grief. He took to roaming the halls in search of something to fulfil him, make him feel like a real person again.

A pretty Hufflepuff passed by, giving him a wink and the predatory grin crept onto Sirius' face without him even realising it.

Who even knew what he'd said, what she'd said, but Sirius figured at least he'd caught her name as she backed him into an abandoned classroom. One thing was certain- her name wasn't Dawn. He closed the door behind them, and with a fierce stab of desire for something more in the monotonous hell he now lived, Sirius began kissing the girl forcefully.

She wasn't unattractive, Sirius' hormones could attest to that as he lowered her to the floor, but it was the same with her as with every other girl he'd kissed after tasting Dawn Summers. There was no fire. Her kisses didn't tell him the stories that Dawn's told.

There were a few moments of fumbling and shifting, Sirius was brought out of his reflections as clothing was unfastened, and eventually removed completely.

Sirius let his hands wander freely, and all the while his thoughts wandered of their own accord to oceanic eyes, smooth flesh and brown sheets of silken strands. Maybe she wasn't so irreplaceable, Sirius mused as he studied the girl laid out before him. She was not so very unlike Dawn herself; same wispy frame, same blue… no, nobody else in the world had those blue eyes, and nobody had the uniquely beautiful textures and contours of her body.

Sirius closed his eyes and willed her name not to spring to his lips.

_Feel her breath on my face_

_her body close to me_

_can't look in her eyes_

_she's out of my league_

_just a fool to believe I have anything she needs_

_she's like the wind_

She didn't know why she'd even come here. With every step towards the Astronomy tower, part of Dawn's mind was screaming at her to turn back. But a more forceful part of her was compelling her forwards.

There was a slight hesitation at the door, but Dawn swallowed it down and pushed through, coming out into the night. Everything was quiet and still. She didn't know what she'd really expected, but she thought things would look different. Like everything was tainted.

They knew Isabel had jumped from the highest turret, and when Dawn glanced in that direction, she saw that a single yellow sunflower had been laid on the stone ledge.

But that wasn't what was calling out to her from the Astronomy tower. She was being drawn to a different part of the roof, overlooking a section of the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid's hut. A scene Dawn knew all-too well. The setting of her first kiss. Dawn went to sit on the ledge and closed her eyes, remembering.

_"I really like you, Dawn."_

She could remember the way she'd stilled at the declaration and how easily Sirius had turned her towards him. She could feel the softness of his lips the very first time they'd touched hers, and the way she'd been thrilled and scared and blissful all at once. Out here, it all came rushing back to her, the memory of a sensation foreign and uncertain, but strangely natural right from the first moment. Dawn opened her eyes and touched her lip, feeling the warmth of Sirius' kisses fleeing from them.

And in that heartbeat, Dawn wanted it back. A burning desire rose in her to be loved, and to love again. She knew it had hurt; she'd been frightened and lost and overwhelmed, but she'd been alive. After the fiasco at the Parents' Weekend, Sirius had brought her back up here and carved their initials into the stone to show her something that even his parents couldn't erase. Dawn's fingers traced the grooves with longing.

SB 4 DS 4EVA

Dawn thought about that word, forever. She'd never respected it before, just blindly believed in the forever her young heart had seen with Sirius. Death was forever, but love, in the way she had used it, was not. Love was changing, growing, and rolling with the punches. And it certainly wasn't running away at the first bump in the road the way she had done.

A defeated sigh escaped Dawn's lips. Maybe there were more of the Sunnydale curses and tendencies in her than she'd imagined. Behind her, there was a noise. A foot rolling over loose stones. Dawn whipped her head about, staring at the darkness.

"Hello?"

She waited and watched, but there was nothing there.

_I look in the mirror and all I see_

_is a young old man with only a dream_

_am I just fooling myself that she'll stop the pain?_

_Living without her, I'd go insane_

James lazily lifted his head from its resting place in his hands, staring at the crushed beauty that was currently Lily Evans. They were alone in the Common Room and Lily was curled up in the armchair opposite James, staring into nothingness and completely oblivious to the scrutiny she was under.

She wiped away a stray tear, James' fingers twitched with the compulsion he'd had a million times since Isabel's death, to be the one to wipe those tears away.

"There's not enough time," he realised suddenly, with a sickening sort of horror.

Lily blinked. "Hmm?" She didn't even have the heart to snap at James. She usually couldn't get enough of that, it was like a hobby.

James was suddenly wide awake, his mind racing with the heart-wrenching new perspective he'd just gained. Life was short. He used to think he had all the time in the world to wait, to make Lily Evans fall in love with him, but it just wasn't true. Isabel had been suddenly and violently wrenched from their lives, and nobody had seen it coming. Who knew when his time would be up? What if he wasted away alone, pining for a girl who'd never have him? An air of finality and resolve settled over James and he slowly gained his feet.

"Lily? Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

Lily just nodded, sniffling. It didn't occur to her to wonder at his use of her first name. James took a deep breath and began rambling, laying bare every little and big thought that had crossed his mind before her.

"I know you think I'm just an arrogant prat and I never take anything seriously, but I really do like you. I don't even know why –Merlin knows you've never encouraged me- but I… I think you're perfect," he breathed.

Lily all of a sudden was sitting up much straighter. Something told her she wouldn't be shooting James Potter down quite so effortlessly this time. James bit his lip and thought for a moment before he continued.

"I always figured I'd have you one day if I just kept at it, but now I realise that days are a little more important than that. I mean, what if this was my last one? I've got to know if I stand a chance, Evans, once and for all," he blurted. "If you say no, I promise that'll be it. It'll kill me, Evans, but I'll never ask again."

Lily felt herself becoming short of breath. She stood up to stand face-to-face with James. No matter what, she wouldn't dismiss him so flippantly this time. She didn't like him. And she was angry, confused and full of hate right now, but if this was it, she was going to do it properly. Fresh tears welled in her eyes and Lily screwed her face up with the effort of holding them back.

Gone were the false-mature tones, the arrogant posturing. James stood before Lily, humbled, vulnerable. "Lily-"

"Don't ask," Lily whispered, the words tumbling out of her in a rush. She didn't want to lie to him, and she couldn't handle being the death of James Potter on top of everything else life had dealt her lately.

"Please, don't ask. I'm sorry, James."

Fleeing to the safety of the girls' stairs, Lily let a few overwhelmed sobs break free of her restraint. One thought stood out in the jumble of words and images that were echoing violently around her mind.

'I called him James.'

James was frozen. He watched the final flick of red hair as the girl he was pretty sure he loved, and was absolutely certain would never love him back, disappeared from view. His heart sank so low it seemed to bleed out of the soles of his shoes. He was left totally bereft of any hope or comfort. For the second time in as many days, bitter, salty tears rolled down the cheeks of James Potter.

"She called me James."

_Feel her breath on my face_

_her body close to me_

_can't look in her eyes_

_she's out of my league_

_just a fool to believe I have anything she needs_

_she's like the wind_

Peter had never been particularly stealthy, but thanks to years of practice with the Marauders, he could move quietly enough when he needed to. Nobody had been paying an attention to him, so when he spotted Dawn drifting through the castle like a lost soul, he decided to follow.

At first he thought he'd call out to her and offer her some company, but something in the way she was moving stopped him. And when she turned towards the Astronomy tower, he knew she wanted to be alone.

He moved slowly on the long climb up the stairwell, so Dawn was already sitting on the ledge when he crept through the door she'd left open. His breath caught in his throat, thinking that she was about to do exactly as Isabel had done, but he breathed easier a second later when he realised she was just sitting.

Peter knew most people would think he was weird, spying on a close friend like this. But the truth was, he didn't consider Dawn a friend. He'd tried every day to think of her in platonic terms, but he just couldn't do it and he knew he would never be able to.

He loved her. But he hated her because she would never love him back. For a brief, glorious moment in his life he'd hoped that Dawn's breaking up with Sirius meant maybe she would open her eyes at last and see him as a man all on his own. But it had been a fool's hope. He'd watched her so closely and for so long that he could read the feeling in every beat of her heart. And whether she knew it herself or not yet, every heartbeat was still screaming for Sirius Black.

Peter ground his teeth together as he watched the unattainable object of his affections tracing her finger over the stones, as if she was touching a cherished memory. This was it. Time to let go, to concede defeat once and for all. He swallowed heavily, pushing every feeling for Dawn Summers down and locking it away in the bottom of his heart. Now he could only hope it didn't leak out like poison in his bloodstream.

He stared at Dawn a moment longer as if he was saying goodbye, then turned to leave. There was a bit of loose stone that Peter didn't see, and his foot scrambled over it with a crunch. Miraculously keeping his balance, Peter dove through the door out of sight.

He heard Dawn call out in alarm, but didn't stop until he'd left the Astronomy tower, and her, far behind.

_I feel your breath on my face_

_your body close to me_

_can't look in your eyes_

_you're out of my league_

_just a fool to believe_

_(just a fool to believe)_

_she's like the wind_

_(she's like the wind)_

The dorm was empty, save for the lone figure curled in the foetal position on his bed. He'd pressed his lips together firmly, as if afraid breathing too much would leave space for the feral cry of anguish that had been building in him for hours to escape.

Remus' fingers gripped the quilt cover, and it was a while before he realised he was pulling at it so hard he was tearing it. He looked at the lengthy rip in the material in confusion for a long while, then decided he liked the destruction he'd caused. It was strangely satisfying.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but Remus didn't stop until the quilt cover had been reduced to tattered shreds. With nothing left of it to destroy, the relief he'd found was fading quickly, leaving the emptiness he still dreaded within him.

Applying his logical thinking to an illogical notion, Remus decided to continue his work on the sheets. He reached up and pushed his pillows aside, intending to tear his bed apart a piece at a time. He stopped, his spine tingling as his eyes fell on a folded piece of parchment that had been tucked under his pillow.

He knew that handwriting. He must've been sleeping on the not for days without even knowing it. It took what felt like hours to convince his hand to reach out, grab the note, and unfold it. Remus read every word with his breath held and his chest burning.

_I'm not like you. I can't live like this, I'm sorry._

Hot, thick tears were falling down Remus' face and Isabel's words were engraving themselves into his heart forever. Sucking back the pain, he tore his eyes away from them as if he'd been staring at the sun. With strong, deliberate movements, he tore repeatedly at the parchment until it was just confetti raining down from his hands.

The parchment scraps were salted over the shreds of the quilt cover, mingling with the scarlet scraps of material that Remus kicked savagely away. He fell back against the ruined bed, letting his grief consume him.

_Just a fool to believe_

_(she's like the wind)_

_Just a fool to believe_

_(just a fool to believe)_

_she's like the wind_

_(just a fool to believe)_

_just a fool to believe_

_she's like the wind_

_(just a fool… she's like the wind)_

_(she's like the wind)_

_(just a fool… she's like the wind)_

* * *


	33. No Second Prize

**Disclaimer:** I keep telling you I don't own it! The Harry Potter stuff belongs to JK Rowling and the Buffy stuff belongs to Joss Whedon. This we all know. No Second Prize is by Jimmy Barnes (and if anyone knocks my culture, I will hunt you down)

**A.N:** I'm sorry about the lack of personal responses **AGAIN**, but life is just in the way and I really didn't want to leave you all hanging. Love you all, please accept this chapter as my apologies for the lack of attention lately.

oOo

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

**No Second Prize**

_No-one can tell you exactly what you have got to be_

_you got to stand your ground and fight to save your life_

_it may be hard, but ooh it's the only way_

_always remembering you ain't no second prize_

_you ain't no second prize_

* * *

"Professor? Can I talk to you for a minute?" 

McGonagall glanced up from the essay she was grading and waved at a chair with the feathered end of her quill. "Have a seat, Miss Summers. I'll be with you shortly."

Dawn settled in the indicated chair and watched while the Transfiguration teacher gave the third year essay a mark and scribbled a few helpful comments in red ink. Finally, she put the essay aside and turned her attention to the girl fidgeting across the desk.

"Well? What is it?" she asked briskly.

"It's about Lily," Dawn admitted. "I'm worried about her."

McGonagall nodded thoughtfully. "Of course. You know she's been dealt a very heavy blow these last couple of weeks. I appreciate your concern, but I'm afraid there's little more you can do but offer her friendship and support while she's grieving."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Specifically, the support thing," Dawn countered. "She doesn't really want me to be her friend right now, but I still want to help support her. You see, there's this Muggle Studies project… Lily and Isabel were working on it together and now Lily's got no one to help her."

"I see. But Miss Summers, you don't take Muggle Studies," McGonagall frowned. "How do you propose to help?"

Dawn sat forward a little. "I know almost as much about it as Lily does from all the times they worked on it in the dorm or the Common Room. I thought maybe if I had your permission, I could help Lily with it. I don't want credit, I just want to help," she added quickly.

"Well that's… a very kind offer, Dawn. But it's really not my decision to make."

Dawn's face fell. "But if I ask Lily first, she'll just say no," she said mournfully.

"That's not who I meant," the Professor announced and Dawn looked up hopefully to hear her continue. "I meant it would be unprofessional of me to make such a decision concerning a colleague's class."

She wrote a quick note, sealed it magically, and handed it to Dawn. "Take this to the Muggle Studies room. it's near the entrance to the Divination tower. You shall have to confer with Professor Atwell on this matter."

Dawn smiled as she took the note. "Thanks Professor."

McGonagall shooed her away, already back to marking her pile of essays. Dawn walked briskly towards the Divination tower, hindered only by the moving staircase, which insisted on taking her to the wrong wing and adding ten minutes to her journey. She decided to start from the Divination tower and work her way along until she came to the right classroom.

It didn't take her long to find it.

The room with the giant 'Doors' poster covering the door was the most likely candidate. Dawn stepped up and knocked.

"Come in," a voice chirped.

Dawn opened the door and gaped at all the junk. It was even worse than the Summers' basement, which Dawn had always thought the epitome of useless junk. The walls and ceiling were adorned with posters of musicians and actors. Everything from the Monkees to 2pac and a 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' poster featuring Audrey Hepburn juxtaposed to the Johnny Depp 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' poster. There were so many shelves and benches that the actually class desks were bunched up in the middle of the room practically on top of each other. There were broken computer parts and even a dissected rubber ducky (an old assignment still labelled with the name 'Arthur Weasley') littering the benches, and shelves and shelves of trashy romance novels bordering the room. Dawn shuddered.

"Welcome to the Muggle world," a voice from the front of the room cried.

Dawn turned to the speaker and tripped over a chair in her shock. A diminutive woman with long blond hair bound in chopsticks was sitting cross-legged on the teacher's desk, scratching her chin with the end of a pink fluffy pencil. She was dressed in a camouflage singlet that clashed shockingly with the fluoro parachute pants, completing the ensemble with navy blue socks beneath brown sandals.

"Um. Hi," Dawn squeaked.

The woman smiled. "If you're interesting in picking up Muggle Studies, you've come to the right place. Of course, it's a little late for you this year… as the muggles would say, your ship has sailed… I'm Professor Atwell, by the way," she said, fitting far too much into a single breath.

Dawn shook the outstretched hand, a little taken aback. She'd never met a Professor who babbled before. "Hi. Dawn Summers, fifth year Gryffindor," she said quickly, noticing the puzzled frown Professor Atwell was regarding her with.

"Well, hon? How can I help you? Fascinating people, Muggles are…"

"Actually, I don't want to join the class. But I would like to help," Dawn replied. Then she explained what she wanted to do and handed over the note McGonagall had written for her.

Atwell listened, then read the note intently before turning her curious grey eyes up to Dawn. "You think you're able to help Lily with her project?"

"I know I am."

"And you're willing to put the time in without credit, even in your OWL year?"

"Yes," Dawn said firmly.

Atwell's eyes narrowed for a second, then she blinked and an instant later her whole face had brightened with an enormous smile. "All right then. It's a done deal! You can help Lily and she won't be penalised."

Dawn smiled in relief. "Thanks Professor," she said and excused herself.

"Are you sure you don't want to join the class?" rang out after her.

Dawn moved quickly back down into the main body of the school, heading straight for the Common Room. She'd been moving like a woman on a mission for the last couple of days, and in a way that's just what she was. The fifth years' world had been torn apart by lies and deception, and Dawn wasn't going to rest until they'd all re-laid the foundations of their lives with honesty. Of course, that included spilling her own most guarded secrets, but with the Fidelius Charm, Dawn felt secure in revealing what she chose.

The Marauders weren't in the Common Room when Dawn stepped back in, but Frank, on his way to see Alice, mentioned they'd been horsing around in their dorm when he'd passed. Lily was curled in a corner with her nose buried in a book, but Dawn could see she wasn't reading it at all.

She walked over to stand before her. "Lily? Can we talk a minute?"

Lily glanced up. "If this is about Isabel, I think you've already had your say," she said quietly.

"No. This is about me," Dawn insisted. "Will you come up to the boys' dorm with me?"

"I'm trying to read here," Lily sighed.

"No you're not. You're sitting there staring at an upside-down page," Dawn countered cheekily. "Just come on, already."

Lily had to mask a small smile at being so easily caught out. She tossed the book aside. "Fine," she said, adding a put-out sigh for effect.

"By the way," Dawn said casually as the two girls looked about to be sure nobody was watching them head up the wrong staircase. "I got permission to help you finish your Muggle Studies project. At no extra credit to me, I might add."

Lily gaped. "What? I don't want your help," she said hotly.

Dawn just shrugged. "I know. But you might need it one day." She knocked loudly on the boys' door. "Guys? You still in there? It's Dawn and Lily, can we come in?"

It was Peter who answered the door. Dawn thought she saw him blush and look down in shame as she passed, but he looked fine a moment later so she brushed it off as paranoia. The boys had obviously been indulging in a bout of self-pity. They were wallowing in messed-up beds, more clothing scattered on the floor than usual, and even had so many discarded Honeydukes wrappers they were starting to make a tapestry.

"We reckon it'll cover a whole wall by the end of the year," Remus announced.

"Then we'll start on a throw rug," James chipped in, picking a stray feather from his hair.

There were a couple of busted pillows to add to the mess. Dawn and Lily shared a look of amusement. Wasn't it stereotypically the girls who got into pillow fights? They shook their heads and moved further in.

"Well?" Sirius drawled, lounging against his intact pillows. "What brings you ladies up the forbidden staircase?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't know, Black. Dawn here was just being dramatic and insisted I come along for the ride I think," she said dryly.

"Hey!" Dawn snapped playfully, secretly elated that Lily was making a joke. "Ok, um, could we all sit down here together or something?" she asked, nodding at the rug in the middle of the floor. The one not made from chocolate wrappers.

The boys and Lily all complied. Dawn took a deep breath and looked around at them, planning what she was going to say.

"What's the matter, Kitten? Cat got your tongue?" James quipped after a moment.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Ok, smartypants. I have to tell you some things about me, and they might make you freak. It's something I told you boys a long time ago, but because of a protective spell, you've all been made to forget. But this is the first time Lily's hearing this," she began.

"Back up," Peter called. "I'm confused already."

"And I'd like to know why you're choosing to include me now if you didn't before," Lily put in, her face neutral.

Dawn looked her dead in the eye. "I know it might be too much to ask, but one day I hope to regain your trust. And if I'm really lucky, maybe even your friendship."

Lily nodded silently and Dawn reverted her attention to the group at large.

"I'm going to explain this from the very beginning, and hopefully it'll still make sense by the end. So, I guess it's common knowledge that Voldemort's after the Key, right?"

They all nodded, wondering why she was even bringing that up.

"Well… What if I told you I'm a little more different than you thought…?"

* * *

Remus was staring at Dawn as she set up their cauldron in the Potions dungeon. Everything she'd told the Marauders and Lily the night before was still swimming through his mind. The fact that she was the Key, all that power just bottled up in her blood, waiting for someone to exploit it. She'd been the cause of her own exile from her old world, creating the portal that only she could close, only to come here and find herself in mortal danger yet again. 

Remus almost smirked. He knew better than to underestimate the dark side, but Dawn's going under the Fidelius Charm to hide the identity of the Key was a stroke of brilliance. It sounded very much like 'Check mate, Voldemort.'

And he couldn't deny that it made him feel a little better, knowing there was someone else in the world with a destructive force within to keep at bay. At least Dawn had the slightest idea of what it was like for him. It was that moment that Dawn turned and caught him staring.

"God, Rem, would you quit it?" she asked, shifting a little. "You guys weren't nearly so weird about it the first time I told you."

"Sorry," Remus muttered, swinging his eyes to their list of ingredients. "It's just…"

Dawn surprised him be squeezing his hand. "I get it," she whispered. "I know how you feel."

"Exactly," he said, looking relieved at the show of solidarity.

Dawn only gave him one of her broadest grins and went off to gather the ingredients herself. She joined Lily, Sirius and to her great distaste, Bellatrix over at the fifth year storage cupboard. The other three were almost finished with their collections, so Dawn moved up and began to measure a portion of worm bile. It was a disgusting, sticky product, like lumpy home-made paste in a vomit-brown colour with the smell to match.

Bellatrix completed her stock with three toad stones and turned away. She paused to sneer back at Lily with malicious contempt.

"So what really happened to Whitman, Evans?" she called with cruel glee over her shoulder. "Was it depression, or did the Mudblood stink in your dorm drive her to it?"

Lily dropped her supplies with a clatter, her hands, her whole body, really, was shaking so badly. Sirius growled and shifted his pickled fig leaves to one hand to grab her shoulder in support while Bellatrix cackled all the way back to her cauldron.

All Dawn's blood suddenly rushed to her ears. The pounding noise made everything else seem strangely quiet and serene. Very calmly, she turned and stared at the back of Bellatrix's head. She felt the tension inside her snap like a rubber band stretched beyond its limits. She pulled her arm back and let fly.

The worm bile sailed gracefully through the air, a tiny brown canon ball that found its mark with perfection. The pounding in Dawn's ears stopped abruptly and she was able to hear normally again as the worm bile exploded against the back of Bellatrix's head, splattering and smearing over the silky black strands.

There was a collective gasp of horror around the dungeon, but also a few looks of deep awe and admiration. James' palms were just itching to begin applauding. Bellatrix whipped about, looking ropable. She glared at Dawn, who only glared back as the Slytherin slowly brought a hand to the back of her head. When she saw, and smelt, her fingers covered in worm bile, she let out an enraged shriek.

"You stupid bitch! I'll kill you for that!"

Sirius released Lily's shoulder and they both pulled their wands out hastily. Bellatrix turned, grabbed blindly at the closest ingredient on her desk, and pelted it at Dawn.

Borrowing a Slayer's grace, she dodged, and the jar smashed into the cupboard behind her, shattering glass and newt eyes everywhere. Bellatrix followed the jar with a quick Jellylegs curse, but Dawn was able to dodge that too and send back a quick Leglocker of her own.

By now the whole class was gathering around the two girls who had begun to circle each other. Bellatrix looked cold and dangerous with fury, but if Dawn was still intimidated by her in the slightest, she wasn't showing it. They fired off a few more hexes each, and it soon became apparent that the more Dawn used skills inherit from her sister to evade attacks, the more frustrated Bellatrix became.

At first it was just to two of them, but it soon disintegrated into a Slytherin versus Gryffindor riot. It was triggered by the _'Furunculus'_ Bellatrix fired at Dawn, but ricocheted right into Severus Snape's face when Dawn swung an empty cauldron up to deflect it.

Frustrated, Bellatrix hurled a handful of half-mulched mushrooms at Dawn that rained down on her, forcing the Gryffindor to bring her hands up as a shield. While she was distracted, Rodolphus Lestrange took a few steps closer, wand drawn and already aimed.

"_Impedementa!_" Sirius bellowed, stopping him from blindsiding Dawn.

With that, curses, hexes and potions ingredients began to fly in every which way. There wasn't a student in the dungeon, save for those who had already fallen in the battle, who wasn't duelling or fighting in some way. In the fray, Dawn and Bellatrix shoved through the mess towards each other like rival warriors destined to fight to the death.

"You bitch!" Bellatrix roared again.

She surprised Dawn by diving at her, her thicker set body tackling Dawn's slender frame to the ground. She didn't hesitate a moment before beginning to slap repeatedly at the girl pinned beneath her, wild and vicious as a feral animal. Dawn felt a sharp fingernail slice her stinging cheek open and grimaced.

"Get off me," she grunted, bringing a hand up to deflect the blows. Bellatrix knocked her arm aside almost instantly, but Dawn had managed to take the split second she needed to regroup. She brought her leg up sharply, kneeing the Slytherin hard in the stomach. Before Bellatrix could react, Dawn used the swing in the momentum to roll them over so that she was on top. Red fury flooded her vision, daring Dawn to take all her frustrations in her life out on her arch tormenter.

So she did. Her fist came back and flew forwards, colliding with Bellatrix's face. Bellatrix struggled and writhed and hit back at her, but Dawn continued to punch and punch, not caring what her fist connected with as long as it was hurting Bellatrix Black.

"You- evil- skanky- hag," she shrieked, accentuating each word with a smack in the face. "How dare you speak about her!"

Blind to all the other activity in the dungeon, the two girls wrestled and fought, wands forgotten as they each struggled for the upper hand. Bellatrix managed to grab a fistful of hair and yank Dawn off her, and Dawn lashed out with her feet in retaliation, kicking at anything in reach.

Peter got hit with a body-binding curse and fell on top of them, but they simply pushed his prone form aside to get at each other again. They Slytherins had been known to duel dirty, so Remus and Sirius had taken to watching each other's backs while they duelled, and James was keeping an eye on both Lily and Dawn, although both girls seemed to be well and truly holding their own.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on here?"

Half the students paused in their tracks when the Professor appeared in the doorway. Not satisfied with the result, she shot out a shower of purple sparks from the tip of her wand, effectively gaining the rest of the class' attention. There were only two students still fighting.

"You think you can take me, Mudblood? You're nothing- you're trash," Bellatrix raged, tearing at Dawn.

With a new burst of furious energy, Dawn grabbed the Slytherin and began to slam her repeatedly into the stone floor with all her strength. "You don't know the first thing about me! And you're damn straight I can take you. Just go to hell!"

By now the whole class had returned to being spectators, and the Professor began clapping loudly in an attempt to restore order. "Bellatrix Black! Dawn Summers! Stop that this instant. I will body-bind the both of you."

They didn't even hear her. James looked at Sirius and they both nodded in decision. Dawn hadn't yet relinquished the upper hand, and as proud as they were of that, the Professor was reaching for her wand. It took the two of them to get her off Bellatrix, and then Remus had to step in and help them hold her back until she calmed down.

Snape and Rodolphus moved in to help Bellatrix stand, and the whole time the two girls were glowering darkly at each other. Their hair and clothing were all a mess and their faces battered and bloody. There was a gash on Dawn's face where she'd been scratched, and her cheeks were bright red and even a little numb from being slapped so hard. She felt a vicious thrill of satisfaction when she noticed that Bellatrix's left eye was sporting the beginnings of a bluish bruise already, and her lower lip has been split.

"How dare you destroy my classroom?" the Professor fumed. "Both Gryffindor and Slytherin will lose fifty points for this, and I've got half a mind to take fifty each from you girls alone," she shot at the main culprits.

"You two will have a week of detention as it is. in fact, I want every single one of you back here at five-thirty sharp. Now get this mess cleaned up before I report the whole situation!"

Finally, Bellatrix and Dawn broke their deadlock and walked back to their respective desks. Dawn spent a moment trying to straighten her clothing and smooth down her hair before calmly beginning to clean up as if nothing had happened.

The Marauders all worked close together. James checked to see that the Professor was out of earshot before leaning in to mutter to the other boys.

"Figures she'd pick today of all days to actually turn up to class."

* * *

"I can't believe she scratched you." 

After Potions, Dawn had had to last the entire Care of Magical Creatures lesson with her face feeling like it was on fire. She'd dug an elastic out of the bottom of her bag to tie back her snarled and wild hair, but as part of their punishment neither she or Bellatrix had been permitted to go to Madam Pomfrey or even to the bathroom to wash their faces.

As soon as Kettleburn had dismissed the Gryffindors for lunch, Lily had ordered Dawn straight up to Myrtle's bathroom and sat her on a tiled ledge.

"I wonder where Myrtle is," Dawn frowned instead of replying to Lily's comment. "Myrtle? Myrtle?" she called, but the ghost didn't appear.

Lily conjured a washcloth and doused it in cold water. When she had it wrung out, she turned and began to dab at the slice in Dawn's cheek. Dawn hissed. The cold water was stinging.

"Sorry," Lily murmured. "But it's got to be cleaned up properly."

Dawn bit her lip and waited patiently for Lily to finish her work. She found the cold water soothing after a while, taking some of the fire out of her cheeks and making her whole body cool off a little. The spring of hot rage hadn't quite stopped bubbling away beneath the surface of her skin, it threatened to erupt and overflow every time she thought about Bellatrix's remark about Isabel.

She squeezed her eyes closed and forced herself to calm down with a series of deep breaths. By the time she was back to normal, Lily had finished with her face. Dawn was surprised to catch a glimpse of dried blood on the washcloth before Lily could vanish the soggy material. She felt at the scratch on her face, but her fingers came away clean.

"It's not that deep, it should be gone in a few days," Lily promised. "I still can't believe she scratched you."

Dawn just shook her head. "I still can't believe the whole thing even happened. I just snapped, I guess. I mean, how dare she say those things to you?"

The Prefect was suddenly engrossed in gathering up her things. "We won't get anything to eat if we don't hurry. Are you coming to lunch?"

"No, I'm not hungry," Dawn sighed, leaning her head back against the tile. "You go. I'm going it wait and see if Myrtle comes back."

"Ok then. See you in class," Lily shrugged.

She went to the door, but hesitated before going through. Everything that Dawn had done that morning, and everything that had happened to her in consequence all stemmed from Dawn's outrage that Lily had been hurt. She looked back at the diminutive frame curled on the ledge.

"Thanks, Dawn," she said, knowing the other girl would understand.

"Don't mention it," Dawn smiled without opening her eyes.

Lily left, and Dawn only had to wait for a few minutes before she felt the icy prickling on the back of her neck. She opened her eyes, smiling in welcome as Myrtle drifted through one of the stalls.

"There you are. I've been waiting for you," she greeted.

Myrtle screwed her face up beneath her thick glasses. "What happened to your face? It looks awful."

"What?" Dawn yelped, scrambling for a mirror. "Lily said it wasn't so bad!"

It took her several long moments of staring into a mirror to convince herself she wasn't going to be permanently disfigured. When she turned away, the ghost was staring at her morosely.

"I thought you'd forgotten about me," she pouted. "None of you have been down to visit in so long, and the last time you were here, nobody even talked to me. You all just had a big fight."

Dawn's eyes frosted over. "I'm sorry Myrtle. We've had… We had some horrible things happening then," she whispered.

Myrtle looked puzzled and Dawn realised with dread that she was going to have to fill her in on the whole sordid tale. Both the living and the dead girl were crying by the time Dawn had finished describing the funeral and the wake. Myrtle shook her head sadly.

"I never went to my funeral," she said, remembering. "I was still too scared to leave the bathroom at that stage. Peeves told me if I went too far from the place where I died, I would be sucked into hell. It was two months before the Fat Friar came and told me it was just a joke."

Dawn just gave her a pitying glance. They talked until the bell sounded, announcing that Dawn had missed any chance at lunch if she'd wanted it. she grinned at Myrtle and scooped up her bag.

"Will you come back and see me?" Myrtle asked, her voice more nasal and whining than usual.

Dawn nodded. "Sure thing."

"Soon?" the ghost pressed.

"As soon as I can. But you know, Myrtle, if I can't get down here, you could always come visit me," she hinted. "Bye now."

Having not had any lunch, Dawn was famished by the time the afternoon's classes were over. She had been so obsessed with food she'd accidentally substituted the word 'Cheeseburger' for 'Chimaera' in her Defence Against the Dark Arts notes. The moment she was free, she practically sprinted to the Great Hall to await the first of the dinner dishes appearing.

She found she wasn't alone. All the fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins had rushed to dinner, eager to fill their stomachs before their detention. With the mood the Professor had been in, who knew how long it would last before they were dismissed?

For the first few minutes, Dawn concentrated on satisfying her rumbling tummy. When she no longer felt ravenous enough to consider stuffing multiple chicken nuggets into her mouth by the fistful, she slowed up to talk to her classmates.

"Guys? I'm really sorry you're all getting stuck on detention just because I wanted to lay the smackdown on Bella the skank. It should just be me and her getting punished."

James snorted so hard a piece of spaghetti flew out of his nose. Nobody seemed to notice that it landed on Peter's plate, and nobody realised what happened a moment later when Peter lifted his fork to his lips.

"Are you kidding?" James laughed. "This is one detention we all had a hand in somehow, Kitten. We were all fighting you know. And even though I've never seen anything in a duel that could top you slamming Bella's head into the ground like that, I'm not letting you hog all the glory for this one!"

Dawn looked around, pleased to note that none of her friends were looking mad at her in the least. "Really?"

James smiled and looped an arm about her neck. "Really. I've never been prouder to be able to call you my sister. And I think I speak for everyone here when I say I've never had so much fun in a Potions lesson."

The boys all burst out laughing and heartily agreed. Even the girls were giggling along with the comment. Satisfied, Dawn relaxed and reached for a platter of wedges with sour cream. When they were finished, they all went straight down to the dungeons, hoping to get things over with as quickly as possible.

Almost as soon as they'd taken their usual seats, the Slytherins stalked into the room and claimed their own. Dawn didn't allow herself to even glance in Bellatrix's direction. It was not only a battle of wills, but also due to the fact that Dawn suspected if she so much as looked at Bellatrix, she'd be overcome with the desire to start punching her again. The Professor stalked in, took her seat behind her desk, and glared at them.

"You wasted my lesson time today, and you're going to pay for it with your free time tonight. I want you all to start on today's Potion, and no-one is leaving this room until every single one of you has completed it to an 'Outstanding' level. Understood?"

Peter let out a little whimper. The only time he'd ever got an Outstanding for this class was the time James helped him to the point where he'd practically made the whole potion for him. He was considering drowning himself in his cauldron to save the rest of the class when a note appeared on the bottom of his instruction sheet.

'_Don't look so worried, Peter. Remus and I will help you through this._'

He looked over to see Dawn grin at him and relaxed. Dawn was lovely like that, willing to do anything to help… He and Dawn went to the storage cupboard to collect their ingredients, but only after Bellatrix had long since returned to her own cauldron. Peter couldn't help but let out a tiny snigger when Dawn reached for the worm bile.

She sighed. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"Why would you want to?" Peter countered as they made their way back to begin working on their potions.

"No talking," the Professor snapped at them.

Dawn was careful not to let anyone but Remus and Peter see the way she rolled her eyes as the three of them wordlessly set up and began to work. Dawn and Remus would complete a step, then pause to whisper the instructions to get Peter caught up with them. The whole class was working as quickly as possible, eager to bring the detention to an end.

By seven o'clock, Peter was finally capping a vial of his potion with a triumphant smile on his face. He didn't care that he was last; although Dawn and Remus had talked him through step by step, he'd successfully completed the potion with his own two hands.

The Professor made them all wait while she leisurely tested each potion and recoded the marks in her ledger. Finally, almost an hour after everyone had finished and cleaned up, she put her quill aside and looked up.

"I believe these are all of an 'Outstanding' quality," she admitted grudgingly. "You're all dismissed. Oh and Miss Summers, Miss Black, I'll see you both here at the same time tomorrow."

Bellatrix scowled. Dawn schooled her features to indifference.

* * *

During Dawn's second day of detention, the Marauders went down to see Hagrid. He wasn't in his hut, but they found him only a little ways into the Forbidden Forest, tending to an 'injured' Blast-Ended Skrewt. 

"'Ello, you lot," Hagrid called when they stepped out from between the trees.

"Hey Hagrid."

They all wandered closer to look at the injured creature. It looked perfectly fine to them, blasting around the enclosure the half-giant had rigged up for it.

"Er, Hagrid?" Sirius frowned. "There's nothing wrong with this Skrewt."

"Well sure there is," Hagrid replied, looking at Sirius as if he'd suggested something ridiculous. "See here- he's got a fracture in his armour. Got to keep 'im quiet for a few days."

Remus leaned over to see where Hagrid was pointing. Sure enough, there was a tiny crack in the Blast-Ended Skrewt's protective shell, but the Skrewt didn't seem to mind in the least. Remus shrugged discreetly and shot Sirius a 'just humour him' look.

Fang burst out of a clump of bushes then, hot on the trail of a rabbit. The rabbit bounded off into another patch of undergrowth and Fang gave up his pursuit in order to circle the Marauders a few times, barking away until they'd all taken the time to pat him. Hagrid called the boarhound back and they all turned to head towards Hagrid's hut for tea.

Hagrid was looking at Remus out of the corner of his eye. "How are yeh, Remus? All righ'?"

Remus nodded, appreciating his friend's concern but still not wanting to talk about it. His grief was a very private thing to him, and all his friends had come to accept and respect that. Since the night of Isabel's funeral, when they'd all fallen asleep together in the Common Room, he hadn't let anyone see him cry. The others trusted him to come to them when he was ready.

"Really?" Hagrid pressed.

"Really. It's just going to take some time," he responded.

"Well ok," Hagrid said and changed the subject. "Haven't seen Dawn in a while. How is she?"

"She's in detention," Peter announced as they all went inside and took their seats at Hagrid's table.

"Dawn? What'd she go an' do to get herself a detention?" Hagrid asked in shock. He couldn't imagine her ever getting a detention for anything beyond involvement in a Marauder prank. And if that was the case, the boys should be right there in detention with her.

Remus bit back a playful groan and Peter and Sirius snickered. James had puffed his chest out self-importantly. "Well Hagrid, my dear sister finds herself unable to join us today because she's serving a week's worth of detention for beating the snot out of Bellatrix Black. And I really couldn't be prouder," he added.

Hagrid knocked his kettle over, he started so violently at the revelation. "Yeh're joking!"

He looked to Sirius, figuring he wouldn't be as quick as his friends to sing the praises of his ex-girlfriend. But Sirius only nodded to confirm James statement, not quite able to keep the awe from his face and voice.

"He's not kidding, Hagrid. Me and Prongs had a helluva time trying to get her off my dear old cousin, even Moony had to help hold her back. She was like a wild thing."

They all had little smirks on their faces just thinking about it. Hagrid took a moment to fix his kettle up and pour the tea for them all.

"Why'd she do it? Now you can't tell me Dawn'd go an' do something like tha' without being provoked," he said firmly.

"Bellatrix was being mean to Lily about… Isabel," Peter said with a nervous look at Remus, and James quickly jumped in to stop Remus dwelling on the name.

"The best part was when the Kitten was slamming Bella into the floor," he crowed, drawing laughter from the rest of the hut's inhabitants.

"No-no- the worm bile," Peter gasped out, clutching at his stomach as he shook with laughter.

"It all started when Dawn snapped and hurled her worm bile at the back of cousin dearest's head," Sirius explained when it became apparent Peter was not up to the task himself. "Even Flobberworms don't splatter like that."

Remus had retreated a little at the mention of Isabel, but finally he looked up sporting a small smile of his own. "I don't know- did you see that left hook she threw? That was impressive, she must've picked that one up from her sister somewhere along the lines."

Hagrid was grinning wryly. "Sweet lil' Dawn, eh? I'd never 'ave guessed."

They spent the rest of their visit filling Hagrid in on what they'd all been up to, aside from rioting in the potions dungeon and landing themselves in detention. Every few sips of tea, though, Hagrid had to pause and confirm that Dawn and Bellatrix Black of all people had been fighting like muggles.

"Like they were brawling in a pub," James quipped, his eyes still shining with pride. "It's a shame nobody had a camera handy. Anyway, Hagrid, we should really get going."

Once their tea was finished, they all said their goodbyes and headed up to the castle. Sirius split off from his friends, letting them head to the Great Hall without him. All the talk of Dawn recently, coupled with the increased contact between them since Isabel's death was stirring feelings within him that were better left alone.

Feelings of longing and loneliness that he thought he'd buried long ago. Feelings that cheapened any solace he might have been able to find in the arms of another girl. Sirius didn't even realise he'd emitted a tiny growl of frustration as he stormed through the halls. Even the thought of solace was mocking him now. With every girl, it was so close, but always just out of reach.

"Sirius," a voice purred, and a little blond materialised before him in the otherwise empty hallway.

"Hello Lacey," he grinned, not finding it too difficult to appreciate the bright red lips smirking at him and the strategically tousled hair settled seductively on her shoulders. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Well," Lacey glanced at a portrait of a warm, bubbly-looking witch, "this is my Common Room corridor."

"So it is."

He made small talk and flirted for a few more minutes, and then without really remembering how, he suddenly found he'd talked her into pressing him against the wall with her warm body. She'd loosened his tie and her lips were working at his neck, and the whole while Sirius just stared out at nothing, waiting for his feelings to kick in and tell him what to do.

He closed his eyes, but that didn't help to he opened them again, only to find himself staring directly into a set of ocean-blue orbs. Dawn, fresh from her detention, had stumbled upon the private moment and her legs had been unwilling to cooperate and take her as far from it as she wanted.

What intrigued Sirius the most was the look on her face. She wasn't looking at him with the heartbreak her eyes had held for him when they'd first broken up, or even the anger she'd later turned towards him. It was betrayal she was looking at him with now, like she'd caught him cheating on her.

With that thought, he suddenly felt the aching need to explain, to take away that look in her eyes and make it all better. He straightened up, but Lacey had taken the movement for enthusiasm and tightened her hold on the front of his robes.

Sirius moved to push her away, but Dawn had finally rediscovered movement for herself. She shook her head at him and walked away, leaving him with an even greater need to search for comfort than he'd started with.

* * *

"Four down, one to go," Dawn chanted as she made her way down to the potions dungeon for her final detention. She had no idea how she'd lasted the entire week without backhanding the self-righteous smirk from Bellatrix's face, but she quickly reminded herself that the week wasn't quite over yet. 

For the three detentions after the first, they'd been put to task with such tedious chores as cleaning cauldrons, writing lines with disappearing ink, and cataloguing the first years' storage cupboard.

To make matters worse, Dawn was still smarting from having walked in on Sirius and his little girlfriend on Tuesday. She was distracted and short-tempered, and she knew she'd fallen so far behind in her homework that she just wasn't going to get a weekend.

With that unhappy thought, she arrived at her destination. She threw her bag down savagely and had just flopping into a chair when her now-most-hated Professor glanced up at her.

"Don't get too comfortable, Summers."

The smart-ass reply fighting venomously to get out of her was quelled by Bellatrix stalking in and glaring expectantly at the Professor, who stood and smartly indicated Dawn to follow suit.

"Leave your bags and your wands and follow me," she ordered.

They followed her all the way through the castle until they reached the trophy room. There were two buckets of warm water, two towels, two bottles of polish, and two rags. And shelves upon shelves of trophies and plaques.

"You've got two hours. Every single one of these trophies had better be sparkling by the time I return, or else."

The Professor turned on her heel and disappeared before either girl could foolishly dare her to name her 'or else', as they were both secretly dying to do. But they'd both been left alone with each other and their work. Dawn glanced at her watch and mentally started the timer to see how long she and Bellatrix would last without insulting each other. She began to work in silence, and the Slytherin soon followed suit.

With nobody around they would choose to talk to, and nothing but a burning desire to be far, far away from each other, they worked so efficiently that they were done with twenty minutes to spare. For the first five minutes they sat on opposite sides of the room, glaring pointedly in opposite directions. Then Bellatrix's black stare shifted slowly to the Gryffindor across from her.

"I'm going to get you back for this, Mudblood. You know that," she swore, her voice taking on a deeper edge that was fuelled by her hatred.

To her shock, Dawn gave a short laugh in response. "I'll believe that when I see it. I'm still waiting for payback from the last fifty times you promised to get me."

Before they knew it, they were both on their feet and prowling closer to each other. They stopped mere inches apart, each girl sizing the other up. Dawn had an inch or so in height on Bellatrix, but Bellatrix was slightly firmer and more formidable in her body. Either way, it was never going to be easy for one of them to gain the upper hand physically without their wands. Dawn arched an eyebrow, a petulant dare for her adversary to make a move.

"You still haven't figured out the way it works here, have you?" Bellatrix said icily.

"Oh I have," Dawn returned smoothly. "I just don't care."

A genuine laugh burst out of the Slytherin before she could reign it in. Despite her anger, she was actually starting to enjoy the game with Summers. It may be well hidden, wrapped in sickeningly soft cotton, but the little Mudblood had a spine in there. It was like adding to the fun of hatred and torment. Something worthy of her contempt at last. Dawn only smirked back, her usually weak and expressive eyes giving nothing away.

"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you not to mess with me. You have no idea who you're really dealing with," she hissed.

Bellatrix's eyes had darkened so much more than usual that Dawn had to swallow the urge to run for an exorcist kit and a priest. She studied the other girl shrewdly, and a moment later it came to her. 'Who you're really dealing with…' Maybe Bella wasn't just talking about herself. Maybe she was talking about someone infinitely more intimidating. She narrowed her eyes to mask a more concerned reaction.

"I know exactly who you're talking about, Bella," she said, quiet and firm. "And somehow I doubt Voldemort is particularly interested in the cat-fights of a self-important fifth year."

"Why you little-" Bellatrix growled.

"And just while we're on the subject of threatening each other," Dawn pressed on, her voice low, even and uncompromising. "You might want to stay the hell away from me. I do know what I'm dealing with in you, but the only thing you seem to have grasped about me is that I'm a Mudblood. Right? You really don't know the first thing about me, and you don't know all the ways I can take you down if you don't back off."

"And if I don't back off?" Bellatrix challenged.

Dawn smiled, pleased that her half-bluff had rattled the other girl enough to make her want to force the issue.

"Trust me when I say you're gonna find out."

Before Bellatrix could respond to the thinly veiled threat, the door slammed open and the Professor arrived to inspect their work. Bellatrix and Dawn paid her no mind, staring at each other with complete loathing until the Professor ordered them to attention.

"Well, it seems you've performed all your detention tasks more or less adequately. I've left your bags in the doorway, but before you go I'd like a word with you both," she said sternly. "I am appalled at you girls, fighting like wild animals in the middle of a class. What were you thinking? No, wait, I don't really care what you were thinking, I just want to know what you've got to say for yourselves."

"Sorry Professor," both girls muttered.

"And?" she prompted, handing back their wands.

Bellatrix glared at Dawn, who returned the gesture whole-heartedly. "And we'll never fight _in Potions_ again," she said through clenched teeth.

"Yeah," Dawn agreed venomously. "We'll just fight outside Potions from now on."

**

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**

**A.N:** Better chapter coming! XX00


	34. November Rain

**Disclaimer:**Own nothing. Buffy stuff is Joss Whedon's genius. Harry Potter stuff is JK Rowling's genius. November Rain is Axl Rose's genius. That's Guns N' Roses for those of you playing along at home.

**A.N:**Sorry again, life stuff. Thanks not only for the lovely reviews, but the thoughtful suggestions. You all know who you are, and I hope you know how grateful I am.

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

**November Rain**

With a wolfish grin, Sirius shut the door of the abandoned classroom and charmed it locked. When he turned, his companion had already made herself comfortable, lounging back against the desk at the front of the room, waiting for him. When he reached her she gave him a saucy look, daring him to kiss her. In no time at all, they were both sprawled over the surface, their hands probing each other's bodies.

Sirius pulled back a moment to gaze at the girl lounging beside him. HE knew her well, she was the first girl he'd actually gone all the way and slept with after breaking up with Dawn, Celeste Elliot. Back then, what he'd found most appealing about her was that she was nothing like Dawn. Her eyes were brown, her hair darker and thicker than Dawn's, and her body was more voluptuous, her curves far more pronounced than Dawn's.

Personality wise, they were worlds apart again. Celeste was forward and extroverted, even a little aggressive when she wanted something. Sirius had told himself she was the perfect counter to Dawn's light and airy gentility. Sirius drilled into his mind that he liked Celeste's differences and tried to tell himself being with her was far better than being with Dawn, but he didn't really believe it anymore as he started to flick her buttons open.

She began to pull at his shirt, too, and Sirius soon found himself wrestling her back against the desk so his mouth could begin to move over what he'd uncovered of her body. Celeste moaned with pleasure, and Sirius found himself moaning for an entirely different reason. The body beneath him just did not feel the same as the one he saw behind the lids of his closed eyes.

"Dawn…"

He froze when he realised what he'd done. He pulled his lips away from Celeste's breasts and looked at her face, expecting to see one very angry girl glaring back at him. But she hadn't even noticed his verbal slip, her eyes were closed and her head tilted back, little whimpers still not quite faded from her lips. Sirius knew he could easily just continue on with what he'd been doing if he wanted and Celeste would never be the wiser.

But he didn't want to.

Finally, Celeste realised he'd stopped and opened her eyes, tilting her head up to look at him. Her brown eyes were filling with confusion and even a little frustration. "Why'd you stop?" she half-moaned.

Sirius was still leaning over her, hands braced on either side of her body and his arms locked straight to keep the distance between them. He was panting, but more from the force of all the emotions running trough him than from all the physical activity.

"I just- I- I can't," he panted.

Celeste's face filled with misplaced understanding. "You mean… you can't…? Here, let me help you with that," she purred.

She reached to open his pants up, but Sirius pushed her hand away. He was already shoving himself off the desk, trying in vain to pull himself together. He was having trouble regaining composure, with every heartbeat stabbing Dawn's name into him like the sharp edge of a knife.

"No," he said, sounding desperate. He couldn't get his fingers to do his buttons up properly.

Celeste was sitting up now, staring at Sirius as if he'd gone insane. "What's wrong with you?" she said snappily.

Sirius groaned. "I wish I knew. I'm sorry, ok? Merlin, I'm just so damn sorry about everything."

He wasn't really sure why he chose that moment to say it, but Sirius was overwhelmed by the sudden desire to begin apologising. There was so much he wanted to take back that he didn't know where to begin. He was out the door before Celeste had even finished putting her shirt back on.

He ran through the halls, not caring who or what got in his way. He would have even bowled tiny Professor Flitwick over if the Charms instructor hadn't been so quick to move, but did not stop to heed the squeaky lecture. He stumbled into the open air, practically rolling down the front steps of the castle.

He paused to regain his footing, then remembered that just a few metres to his left was the exact point where Dawn had first appeared in his life in a flash of light, and pushed on. There was a secluded little gully by the edge of the lake, shielded from observation on both sides by tall rows of hedges.

Sirius collapsed in the grass, and in the privacy of the lonely sunset he began to cry.

At first it was only a couple of tears leaking out, insignificant enough for him to brush off as the products of stress and embarrassment. But then they began to come faster, and there were more and more tears falling, until finally Sirius was left helpless against the torrents.

Secure in the knowledge that no one could see him, he gave himself over to pure, heartbreaking emotion. He cried for more than he knew he had in him. He cried for Isabel, and Remus crying himself to sleep every night without her. He cried for the family he couldn't turn to for help, and the foolish younger brother he wanted so badly to save but couldn't. He cried for himself, feeling stupid, scared and alone. He was a fraud, always making sure he looked in control although it was becoming clearer by the day that he had power over nothing. He could barely even take care of himself.

Finally, Sirius began to cry for Dawn. He cried for every smile that had ever graced her lips and every tear that had ever fallen from her eyes, especially the tears he'd helped create. He fell back against the grass, staring up at the pink-streaked sky that seemed to cruelly provoke his tears with its beauty. He gave his mind over to reliving his short, yet powerful life with Dawn. It was so strange to him; he'd lived a whole lifetime without her, but every second spent with Dawn meant a thousand times more to him than all those before.

They'd both known all along that Sirius had been Dawn's first, but Dawn had not been Sirius'. It was true that Sirius had slept with other girls before, and after Dawn, but in his mind she was still different from every single one of them.

Because she had been the first, the _only_ girl he'd ever made love to. He shook his head to himself as the sky deepened into a more accusing orange. Sirius had always thought himself the experienced one, suave and manly and always knowing exactly what to do. Well he physically knew how to make love, but now it was time to accept that Dawn's dissatisfaction with him showed that he really didn't know the first thing about being a good lover.

He was finally beginning to understand where it all went wrong, and the problem seemed to begin with his attitude. Being someone's lover wasn't about how frequently you slept together, it was about consideration, communication, and connecting on a thousand different levels. All those things Dawn had craved, and he had discarded in favour of physical gratification.

He began to cry again as day slipped into night at last. He couldn't deny it any longer, he couldn't go on pretending.

He wanted Dawn back.

* * *

"I feel like my head is going to explode."

Remus threw his quill down and buried his pounding head in his hands. In his mind he heard the gentle scraping of a chair and a moment later a pair of slender arms went around him.

"Don't you worry about that. If your head ever explodes, I'll Scourgify you up again," a melodious voice joked.

Remus smiled drowsily. He loved that voice. "Isabel…"

Everything around him: the air, her arms, her voice, was suddenly honey-warm. Almost afraid she would turn to dust beneath his touch, he brought a finger up to run along her hand. He was still too afraid to open his eyes.

"You didn't think a little thing like death would stop me from seeing you, did you Lupin?" she murmured.

"I miss you." Remus' hand was now confident enough to completely grasp hers.

"You don't have to miss me. I'm always here."

"If I open my eyes, will you still be here?"

"Try me."

Remus opened his eyes and the amber depths immediately began to sparkle with tears. Isabel was seated beside him, looking as glorious and simply beautiful as she ever had.

"See?" she smiled. "Always right here." Her hand had come up to rest over Remus' heart.

He let his fingertips brush across her cheek. "I love you so much- I never wanted this to happen."

"I know. I know that now."

Remus' eyes fluttered closed and he gave himself over to the euphoria of having Isabel so near him again. he let the feelings guide him and moved in for a kiss.

His lips met only wisps of air; whether or not she'd ever really been there in the first place, Isabel was gone. Remus blinked in the harsh reality.

"No…"

"Rem? What's wrong, honey?" Dawn asked, sliding into the empty chair next to him and putting a hand on his arm.

Remus shook his head quickly and blinked back the tears so he could focus on her. "Nothing, Dawn. I'm ok. It was nothing," he told himself quietly.

She frowned and laid her cheek against his shoulder, bringing her hand around to rub his back. Remus closed his eyes and laid his head on the top of hers. Throughout the past couple of weeks, nobody had been able to comfort him quite like Dawn had. The boys had tried, and Remus would be forever grateful for the way Sirius and James never mentioned it again or acted like anything out of the ordinary had occurred when they had to come and hug him in the night while he cried himself to sleep, but it just wasn't the same.

They didn't meant to, but the male Marauders all looked at him like they expected him to break at any second, and there was something wrong with him when he didn't. But Dawn seemed to know how that felt, and he wasn't sure if that was because of her own experiences or simply a girl thing. She just looked at him like whatever he was feeling at that moment was ok with her. Which was largely the reason he chose to be with her when he wasn't feeling ok.

He tried to say something, but found that his voice was annoyingly choked up. Dawn turned her head to peck his shoulder with her lips.

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised. "Take your time."

He nodded and waited a few minutes before trying again. "I think I'm going crazy," he muttered.

"Nah. Crazy people don't know they've lost it, and grief is not insanity. What made you think that, anyway?"

Remus shook his head. He didn't want to tell her what had just happened to him. He wasn't ready to be told if it wasn't real. She didn't seem to mind, just kept on rubbing his back and not pressuring him to open up. They sat in silence for a long time, not seeing the people trafficking through the Common Room around them and not caring what happened so long as they were left alone. They sat so still for so long that if their eyes hadn't been moving, they'd have been mistaken for statues. Finally Dawn took a deep breath and twisted her face up to Remus' ear.

"I miss her too," she whispered.

Sensing Remus' need for solitude rising, Dawn disentangled herself, kissed his forehead, and left him be. She could use a little solitude herself, her misery didn't seem to love company so much either.

She went to curl up in a corner in her dorm with her thoughts. Everyone's moods had been fluctuating so uncertainly lately that Dawn's depression had not registered on anyone's emotional scales. And as desperate as she was for someone to confide in, she didn't think it was the appropriate time to worry her shell-shocked friends over boy troubles. Who could she even go to, anyway? Lily was slowly letting go of her hatred and blame, but they were by no means the share-your-deepest-fears-and-desires kind of friends yet.

She wasn't insensitive enough to talk to Remus about romance, and given her history with Peter, he couldn't fill the role of confidant for her either. And how could she go to James? What could she say to him? 'Hey big brother, you know how I dated your best friend until I got freaked by the intimacy and ripped his heart out before stomping all over it? well, I want him back…' With that sales pitch, he probably wouldn't be inspired to help her.

And Sirius? She could barely stand to look at him without wanted to cry for a month. She had a horrible feeling in the depths of her heart that she'd not only missed her chances with him, but she'd wasted them and thrown them away. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see him leaned against the wall with his little blond Hufflepuff all over him.

He was over her.

She didn't think she'd ever be over him.

The thoughts were like acid poisoning her mind, burning to get out of her. Feeling desperate, Dawn snatched up a quill and a long sheet of parchment, hoping it would be long enough to host her every thought and feeling. Without pausing to think about what she was saying, Dawn began to write.

_Dear Mom Potter,_

_Hope both you and Dad are well. Sorry to just start blabbing at you like this, but I really need someone to talk to. I don't know whether you've been looking forward to this moment or dreading it, but I need some advice. It's about a boy…_

By the time Dawn had finished pouring out her soul, the parchment was full and her eyelids were feeling as heavy as her heart. She decided to send it off in the morning and tucked the folded parchment into her bag.

She changed into her nightshirt, realising with a pang that something of Sirius' scent still clung to it even after all this time. Dawn climbed into bed and drew the hangings about herself for privacy while she buried her face in her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

James was spread out over the dorm room floor, taking advantage of the rare solitude to catch up on some assignments. Most of which were due much sooner than he'd realised.

"Europa is covered in ice," he muttered as he wrote, recalling the argument he and his friends had had over the substance Europa was covered in.

Remus had insisted it was 'ice', but James, Sirius and Peter had all heard differently. James had heard 'mice', Sirius 'lice' and Peter had thought 'rice'. Since Dawn didn't take Astronomy and therefore couldn't pronounce judgement, Remus had gone as far as checking a book on Europa out of the Library to prove he was right.

The door opened and closed quietly, and James assumed it was Remus coming in. Both James and Sirius stomped about like Hippogriffs in heat, and Peter was too clumsy for quietness. But when James looked up, it was Sirius he saw shuffling dejectedly towards his bed.

"What's up, mate?" he called across the dorm.

Sirius just grunted and threw himself on his bed. James frowned and shoved his essay away. Moments later he was plopping down next to his best friend, neither boy seeming to notice or care that their shoes were dirtying Sirius' quilt cover.

"All right, Paddy?" James asked rather seriously.

Sirius shrugged, refusing to look at James. James' eyebrows knitted together and he stared at Sirius until he noticed the slightly red rimming around his eyes and hastily looked away. He decided it was best not to bring it up and quickly thought of something to take Sirius' mind off his troubles until he was willing to let James in on them.

"You know what we need?" he blurted suddenly. "A prank-fest! I really think we've kept the peace for far too long, those Slytherins are looking entirely too complacent. What do you think?"

Finally, Sirius turned his head to glance at James, although he couldn't hold his gaze for more than a second. "Do I even have to answer that?"

The two boys shared a small grin.

"Excellent. I don't think Moony is up for much in the way of pranking yet, and Wormtail couldn't come up with a plan if his life depended on it, but we can show them all a thing or two anyway. What do you say, a joint Padfoot and Prongs venture, eh?" James prattled on, hoping to completely distract Sirius from his cares.

"Maybe we can charm them all so they can't see themselves walking around in their knickers all day. On second thought, I really don't think I want to be seeing that much of Crabbe and Goyle. Or either of your cousins, for that matter."

James congratulated himself on the small laugh Sirius let out and pushed on. "Ah well, we'll think of something. We can start small, then build up so the slimy gits never know what's coming next. Oh, I know- we can send Bellatrix a nice little exploding package, a worm bile surprise. She'll be so ticked when that reminds her what the Kitten did to her."

Sirius flinched at the mention of Dawn's nickname. But James' excitement had gained so much momentum that he failed to notice Sirius' complete withdrawal from the one-sided conversation. James chattered away until Sirius couldn't keep his defences up anymore. He turned to his best friend and let out a rough sigh.

"Prongs, it sounds great. But can we think about it tomorrow? I don't have the energy tonight."

James blinked and stopped, disappointed he hadn't managed to distract Sirius from whatever was upsetting him. "Sure, Padfoot. Whatever you want. There… There isn't anything you want to talk about, is there?" he asked, fiddling with his glasses.

"No. I just… Nah," Sirius waved his mood away. "Forget it, Prongsie. We'll go pranking tomorrow."

He forced a grin and pushed himself up from his bed, looking tired and even a little defeated. He went into the bathroom and shut the door firmly. James bit his lip in frustration and returned to his homework, hoping to get through it all by the time Easter holidays were upon them. He listened to the heavy pounding of water coming from the shower that had been turned to full blast, his mind more on his friend than his Astronomy essay. He knew Sirius had been crying, but he didn't have the faintest idea why. Usually the boys could share their hurt with each other in some way, but when Sirius really wanted to keep something to himself there was no getting it out of him.

After barely two minutes of badly-attempted concentration, James groaned and tossed his quill aside. Life was too messed up to worry about homework. He left Sirius alone for the rest of that evening, feeling a little alone and depressed himself. But very early the following morning, he quietly woke Sirius, annoying him by firing jets of red sparks at his head until he was up and dressed. Under the Invisibility Cloak, the two boys broke into the Potions store and stole a healthy portion of worm bile.

Next they holed up in the Owlery to charm their little package so it would explode when opened. Sirius stared at the disgusting product for a moment before closing the lid, a nostalgic gleam in his eye. The look on Dawn's face just before she'd thrown the worm bile at Bellatrix had been so beautifully indignant and furious, a perfect expression of thought and feeling without a single word uttered.

James was looking at him curiously, when Sirius realised he hastily closed both the package and his expression, using his wand to seal the box up properly.

"Hmm," James mused. "Think it would be too obvious if we used Hector or Gizmo?" he nodded to Sirius' and then to his own. Rather fluffy owl in turn.

"Possibly," Sirius deadpanned.

All the owls had seen what the two boys had been packing into the unassuming little box, and were all strangely uninterested in accepting the task of delivery. They spent a few minutes trying to coax an owl down from the rafters, then spent another ten minutes trying to chase one down. Finally, James lost his patience for so much work on an empty stomach and used a summoning charm on the closest unfortunate bird.

Sirius held it steady while James attached the light box and whispered that it needed to be delivered during breakfast with the rest of the Owl Post. Although the owl didn't look impressed, both boys knew she understood. Plus Sirius had pulled a few Owl Treats from his pocket as a bribe.

By the time they'd returned to the dorm, Remus and Peter were just getting up and by the time James and Sirius had finished locating all the books for their classes, the four boys were all ready to go down to breakfast together.

When James reached the Gryffindor table, he almost groaned out loud. Dawn was chasing soggy fruit loops around her cereal bowl with a look on her face that said her favourite puppy had run away. He didn't know how much longer he could play the philanthropist, he had his own pains and heartaches still eating away at him.

But Remus still wouldn't talk to him about his grief, Lily hadn't so much as glanced at him in days, even Peter was acting a bit out of sorts, and the lead-up to Easter was usually the most exciting time of year for him. And now with Sirius' newfound depression, James had been hoping at least Dawn would be ok enough to help him out. Support him while he tried to support everyone. But he guessed none of them were really quite ok when it came down to it.

"Alright, Kitten?" he muttered, reaching for the bacon.

Dawn just shrugged, not even looking up at him. "Five by five."

'Whatever that means,' James thought as the first of the owls began to swoop into the Great Hall. There was the usual flurry of activity, and he couldn't help but grin in anticipation when he saw a box being set down by Bellatrix's plate, the owl he and Sirius had bullied into the job clearing out as quickly as possible.

In amongst the scrunching sounds of students tearing into envelopes or unfurling parchment scrolls, Bellatrix frowned and slicked open the unmarked package. There was a loud 'pop' as the Worm Bile Surprise activated and everyone within a three metre radius was sprayed with the nauseating substance.

There was a general groan of disgust from the Slytherin table, but it was tempered by the laughter bubbling from the other House tables. Bellatrix was fuming, wiping at the globs on her face to try and clear her vision. Finally, Narcissa took a napkin and, her delicate nose wrinkling with severe distaste, began to help her younger sister out.

James turned to Sirius, hoping to see the triumphant grin, they sparkling eyes reflecting back at him, but he was sorely disappointed. Sirius' smile was paper thin and wilting at the edges, his eyes unresponsive wells of depth. Beginning to lose his own tentative grasp on coping himself, James shoved a large forkful of bacon into his mouth, savouring the salty meat. He didn't notice Dawn sitting by him, clutching a roll of parchment like a life-line.

Sirius drained his pumpkin juice, heaved a world-weary sigh, and clapped James on the back. "Good show, Prongs. Pleasure doing business with you."

He sounded completely despondent as he got up and slouched out of the Great Hall. James watched him go sadly. It took him a moment to realise that Peter, in his own quiet little way, was trying to get his attention.

"What's wrong with Padfoot?"

"Wish I knew, Petey. Wish I knew."

* * *

Professor Kettleburn had accidentally kicked a hive of flesh-eating wasps while out in the Forbidden Forest, and was still in St Mungo's Hospital trying to have his kneecaps properly regrown. Dawn was grateful for the free period right after breakfast that resulted from Kettleburn's injuries: she needed to open her mail in private and didn't think she could wait until lunch. So when the rest of the school was departing for their classes and the other fifth year Gryffindors were heading back to their Common Room to relax, Dawn was emerging into the open air. It was a beautiful Spring day, but Dawn didn't take any pleasure in the warmth as she headed thoughtlessly towards the lake.

She stumbled upon a secluded little gully in between the protective walls of a couple of rows of hedges and decided it was the perfect little hideaway for her. As she sat, though, she had a vision of Sirius flashing through her mind: laying in the grass here and watching the sunset with tears on his face. She shifted uncomfortably, wishing she knew how to block her own mind out when it decided to turn traitor on her like that.

Her fingers fumbled with the seal and the parchment and she spread it out over her legs to read.

_Dearest Dawn,_

_How are you, sweetheart? I'm honoured you feel that you can come to me with your problems, and I wish we could do this properly and have a cosy chat, woman to woman, over a cup of tea. But I'll give you the best advice I can this way before Harold decides to poke his head in and read over my shoulder. Somehow I doubt his two knuts' worth would be so helpful- a mother shudders to think what advice is being passed on to her only son._

_But enough of that. Now, about this boy…_

Her foster mother hadn't written anything that she didn't already know deep in her heart, but Dawn felt infinitely better just having poured her heart out, and having had someone confirm they care in response.

But along with that lighter feeling there was also a heavier one settling over her whole being, weighing her down. She had a lot of mess to start cleaning up. If she wanted to find her way back to Sirius' heart, she had to pick up the pieces she'd smashed last time around and then learn how to ensure it never happened again.

She had to change the way she'd behaved before, and then they'd both need to work on making sure their relationship was different this time. Stronger. More solid in its foundations.

And then of course was the prospect Dawn found too terrifying to even consider, the prospect that all her efforts would gain no reward.

Dawn stared out across the water for a while to clear her mind, then glanced down at her watch and groaned. She hadn't heard the bell, being so far from the castle, and if she didn't sprint, she was going to be late for Defence Against the Dark Arts. She gathered her things up, but fumbled in her haste and didn't notice the letter from Mom Potter fall out of the top of her bag and nestle itself into the grass. She bolted up to front steps and inside the castle, miraculously only about five minutes late.

The only seat left in the room was one Dawn really didn't want to take. The one in the back corner, right next to Sirius. She sat down, trying to duck out of sight of the Professor's annoyed gaze, feeling Sirius' gaze on her too. She wished there was some way to duck out of his sight as she rummaged in her bag for her Defence textbook.

"Damn," she muttered. It wasn't there.

"Here," Sirius said, sliding his book over to share. "We're finishing the theory on classifying dangerous beasts."

Dawn stared at him a moment before realising creeping him out wouldn't help her efforts to make things right between them. She forced as much of a smile as she could manage. "Thanks."

"No problem."

They read in awkward silence for a little while, neither really able to concentrate on the words before them, murmuring only to check if it was ok to turn the page yet. Sirius kept glancing at Dawn out of the corner of his eye, and Dawn wanted to scream with the agony he was causing. Just when she was about to fake stomach cramps to get herself out of class and away from the pressure of his eyes, Sirius took a deep breath and began to talk.

"Listen, Dawn, I wanted to apologise for what happened in that corridor last Tuesday," he said in a low voice.

Dawn turned her head slightly towards Sirius, an image of the little blond stuck to his neck like a suction cup returning to her mind. But why was he apologising to her? She'd instigated the break-up, she'd walked in on his private moment, she'd made a mess of everything…

"You don't have to apologise," she rushed out, creasing the corner of his page in her determination not to look at him. "I shouldn't have taken that short-cut anyway, I just barged in on you like that… And hey, it's not like I've never seen you with other girls before."

She was trying to convince herself it was no big deal, but that last line hit Sirius hard, like a blow to the gut. He reddened and, like Dawn, pretended to have an ounce of interest in the book laid out before them.

"Sorry," he said, feeling inadequate.

'Aren't we all?' Dawn thought. 'Aren't we all?'

She didn't know how she made it through the rest of the lesson, let alone the rest of the day and the week. But finally it was Friday afternoon and a handful of fifth years were sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, contemplating the next couple of weeks with varying levels of enthusiasm.

James was bouncing up and down on the couch, ignoring Dawn and Remus' pleas for him to keep still. "It's Easter, it's Easter. Does everybody know what that means?" he sang.

"It means that from midnight tonight we've got exactly eight weeks and two days until OWLs begin," Lily realised, bolting to her feet. "If anyone needs me I'll be in the Library. Permanently," she called, scurrying for the exit.

"Not what I'm talking about," James said, still bouncing about gleefully.

Dawn eyed him with concern. "James, honey, I've got to tell you something that might get a little awkward, but since you're my big brother I consider it my duty to tell you this. You do know there's no Easter Bunny, don't you?"

Remus and Sirius choked on their cackles as James stopped bouncing at last. He folded his arms and pouted like a little boy looking very put out. Dawn leaned over and laid her cheek against his shoulder in a placating gesture.

"Yes I know there's no bloody Easter Bunny," he grumbled. A moment later he'd perked up again. "But I do believe in Mrs Pettigrew! Seriously, Dawn, Wormtail's Mum sends the best homemade Easter eggs of all time. We're all in for two weeks of the best damn chocolate you've ever tasted."

Right on cue, the portrait swung open and Peter struggled though, a large postage box in his arms. Dawn realised James must really be serious about that chocolate when he rushed over to help Peter through.

"Thanks," Peter said when he was clear of the entry at last, taking the box back so he could bring it over and set it proudly on the coffee table before the couch.

"Mum thought we could all use it a bit earlier this year," he explained, pulling the box open and consulting the list inside. "Ok, she says green for me, gold for James, red for Sirius, blue for Remus, and of course the girly purple one is for Dawn."

He passed them out quickly and found himself dazzled by the brightness of Dawn's smile as he handed her the enormous egg wrapped in purple foil. He was caught up in the borrowed feeling of warmth for a moment, then managed to tear himself away and seize his own egg. Dawn studied her gift with wonder. The purple foil was dark, but glittery and there was a deep red bow wrapped around it. A part of her didn't want to ruin the pretty wrappings, but the promise of chocolate within was too great a temptation. Besides, James and Peter were already well into theirs. James' was fully of peanut brittle squares, Peter's brimming with marshmallows.

She broke a small hole in hers and let out a squeal of delight. Her egg was filled with little balls of soft-but-not-runny toffee with nougat and peanut butter centres. She turned her gaze back to Peter, who had a handful of marshmallows and a faint chocolate smear on his chin.

"Does your Mom really make these herself?"

His mouth was full, he just nodded.

"It's amazing. Will you tell her thank you for me when you write?"

Again, a nod.

"Great." Dawn smiled and fished a toffee ball out to pop into her mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed, she moaned dramatically and flopped back against the cushions. Precious comfort food.

Sirius took the opportunity to observe her without the risk of being caught staring. She looked so beautiful, a mix of fragility and strength. He wanted to move over her, to touch her delicate nose and kiss her lips, make her his again. He'd actually moved out of his seat before he caught himself. The memory of her voice froze him in his tracks.

"… And hey, it's not like I've never seen you with other girls before…"

"Thanks for the egg, Wormtail," he muttered, pushing out of the Common Room before anyone knew what he was up to.

He went straight to his place by the lake to think, looking for time alone. He flopped back against the grass, but something unnatural-sounding crumpled beneath him. After a minute of shifting about and twisting his arm behind his back, he came out with a crinkled up roll of parchment.

His eyebrows rose as he smoothed it out enough to read that it was addressed to Dawn, written in what he was pretty sure was Mrs Potter's handwriting. He hesitated, thought about it for a moment. Would he like Dawn to read his mail is the situation was reversed? No. But who wouldn't do so in his position?

Sirius read the letter.

* * *

"Too much chocolate."

Dawn groaned and sat back, rubbing at her tummy. The inflow of chocolate fresh from Mrs Pettigrew's kitchen had been running steady for days now. No sooner had they finished one Easter egg off than another two would arrive in its place. Joyce Summers had been no slacker in the kitchen, but if she'd been anywhere near the cook that Peter's Mum was, Dawn suspected she'd be a good forty pounds overweight, too. Fifty at Easter time.

Remus chuckled at her. "What happened to 'there's no problem that can not be solved by chocolate'?" he teased.

Dawn pouted at him. "I forgot about the whole 'I think I'm going to barf' loophole and now I'm suffering."

"Poor Kitten," Remus soothed. "Your stomach will be up to the challenge next Easter, don't you worry about that. Here, if you want something to take your mind off it, have a look at this study schedule I've knocked out for us."

Dawn chanced taking one hand away from her stomach in order to pull the bit of parchment Remus offered closer. She grinned when she saw it.

"Pretty colours," she commented.

Lily had already all but moved into the Library, she was at the doors waiting for it to open in the morning and would only leave right on nine o'clock sharp in the evening, much to Madam Pince's annoyance. Peter preferred not to think of the horrors of their upcoming OWLs, and James and Sirius openly scorned the concept of requiring study to excel. So that left Remus and Dawn, and while Dawn had been absently inhaling the latest coconut ice offering from Mrs Pettigrew, Remus had been coordinating study schedules for them.

Dawn frowned to herself, comparing the two timetables that were colour coordinated by subject. "Hey Rem, how come you only get one afternoon off, but I get two? I don't remember bribing or threatening you."

"No," he laughed. "I just thought we could both use a break, and you don't take Astronomy, so your one less class means an extra break for you."

"Oh. Neat." Dawn scanned the timetable to see what Remus had organised for them right up. Transfiguration. She pulled a face. "So, you want to get a jump on this right away?"

She looked at Remus, but his face all of a sudden looked as perfectly despondent as she knew hers must.

"Or we could start tomorrow."

Remus nodded, staring at the piles of Dawn's books laid out on the Common Room table before them. He sighed heavily and leaned forwards to rest his elbows on the table, laying his head in his hands. It was only after Dawn laid her cheek against his back and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight, that Remus realised he'd started to cry.

Once he realised that, he couldn't stop. He quivered and shook with sobs for so long he almost couldn't remember life before tears, but the whole time Dawn was there. She didn't say a word, but she didn't let go either. She just waited patiently for the storm to pass.

"I miss her so much," he moaned. "Am I ever going to stop feeling this way?"

"Yes. And no," Dawn answered truthfully.

She'd finally let go of Remus and when he turned his red eyes towards her, she could tell she didn't have to explain. He already knew. Some things just stayed with you forever.

"You remember when I told you I thought I was going crazy? Well I… I saw Isabel," he confessed.

Dawn's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"She was here," Remus murmured. "I know it's nuts, I know she can't have been, but it was so real. Do you think I'm mental now? That I'm losing my mind?"

"No," Dawn said firmly. "When you lose somebody you love, sometimes you go through all these weird things that make you feel insane, or horrible, frightened or whatever. But it's ok. You go through whatever it is your mind needs you to go through to cope. What… What did she say to you when you saw her?"

Remus closed his eyes, his hand came up to rest over his heart. "That she was always with me."

Dawn nodded to herself, trying not to tear up. She was so tired of loneliness. "I think you should believe in that, Remus," she choked out. "I believe in things like that."

"You're right," he realised slowly, and for a moment he almost felt like there was hope for him. He looked at Dawn, really seeing her for what felt like the first time in months.

She didn't look happy, and he could tell it was something inside eating away at her. Dawn was staring at her pile of books, her face a study in hurt and loneliness.

"Dawn," he coaxed softly. "Tell me what's wrong."

She looked up and smiled, even though he could see the tears brimming in her eyes. "Don't worry about me, Remus. You should be looking after yourself right now."

"Friends are supposed to look after each other," he pressed.

In response, Dawn kissed his cheek. "You want to know something, Rem? You're my best friend."

"Then talk to me. You're no good to me when you're not ok."

Her stomach was churning with anguish the whole time she spoke, but she managed to get her story out. She confessed everything to Remus; the reasons her relationship with Sirius had imploded in the first place, her slow-evolving epiphany about the true nature of romance and love, and even her correspondence with Mom Potter. Remus listened in silent sympathy.

"And now you're faced with the task of somehow taking everything you've learned and repairing your life with Sirius," he concluded for Dawn when she'd talked herself out.

"I don't know if I can," she whispered. "I feel like I've wrecked his life and here I am now, months later, wanting to throw a band-aid at him and act like it's all better."

"Well then maybe you should look at it in a different way," Remus advised. "You know Sirius as well as I do, don't underestimate his compassion. If you can talk to him and explain everything as well as you did to me, he'll understand."

It was then that Dawn, her voice meek with terror, voiced the single greatest fear of her life.

"What if he doesn't want me?"

"What if he does?"

Her eyes grew impossibly round and her blood ran cold. It wasn't Remus who had spoken. His startled amber eyes had shifted to a point just above her shoulder. It seemed to take an age for Dawn to turn and force her downcast gaze to lift until it met Sirius'.

"I'm just going to… bugger off," Remus finished lamely, realising he'd already been forgotten. Without another word he took to the stairs, leaving Dawn and Sirius alone.

She went to stand to face him, but Sirius moved around to take Remus' abandoned seat and Dawn awkwardly lowered herself back into her chair from her half-standing position. Where to begin?

"Um…" she said.

"Um…" he said. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out Dawn's battered letter from Mom Potter. "I sort of found this."

Once she realised what it was, and that Sirius must have read every word of it, Dawn began to blush deeply. He wasn't sure if it was the right moment for it , but Sirius couldn't help but chuckle.

"Dawn, I've seen you naked like a hundred times. Don't get embarrassed because I read your mail," he joked.

After a moment, Dawn gave up and smiled. The ice had been broken.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, before adding, "You don't have to be," in unison.

"Ok," Sirius said slowly. "So we're both sorry. Good start."

Dawn sighed tiredly. "Can we skip this part?" she begged. "We both know what we did wrong and we'll make it better this time. That I can promise you. I just don't want us to end up hopping back on the merry-go-round of rotating knives. I blame you, and you blame me, and we both end up all cut to shreds. Please just tell me… Do you still love me?"

Sirius almost smiled, loving the way she'd just laid her soul bare for him. His eyes deepened with emotion and his voice was husky as he met her stare and her challenge head on.

_'Doubt thou the stars are fire._

_Doubt that the sun doth move._

_Doubt truth to be a liar._

_But never doubt I love.'_

Dawn's eyes brightened with wonder. "I love you too," she whispered. "I didn't understand that before, I got so scared of the way I was feeling and I'm sorry-"

Sirius' fingers pressing against her lips cut her short. "I thought we were skipping this part."

Dawn leaned in, meeting Sirius half way as he moved forwards to kiss her. Everything that had been missing with all those other girls was found again, kissing Dawn felt like coming home at long last. Dawn tightened her hold on Sirius, felling more at home than she ever remembered feeling with his arms winding around her and his mouth sealed against her own.

The moment took them away from all thought and logic, all they knew was that when Sirius yanked Dawn up, shoving her books aside to lay her on the table, nothing had ever felt so right and natural. Dawn tangled her hands in Sirius' hair.

Maybe things were going to be ok.

**

* * *

**

**A.N:** Happiness now… :-)


	35. The Longest Time

**Disclaimer:** All things Buffy the Vampire Slayer are the property of Joss Whedon, and all things Potter are JK Rowling's. 'Blue Suede Shoes' is by Elvis Presley (feel free to laugh) and 'The Longest Time' is by Billy Joel (if I hear of any Billy-bashing, I'll be cranky!)

**A.N:** Sorry about the lateness AGAIN. I'm shocking, I know. Life is hectic and I get home for one night a week if I'm a very lucky girl, so I don't get so much puter-time anymore. Also, had 2 assignments due in the last couple of weeks. If it's any consolation, I kicked butt in one of them. Sorry to leave you hanging, I love you all for sticking with me and reviewing very much. Thank you all for the continuing support. XX00

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE 

**The Longest Time**

Dawn had braced one long leg against her otherwise abandoned chair to help hold herself up. Sirius still had her laid out on the table, kissing her as if he would never stop and she couldn't help but revel in the way her body moved to reacquaint itself with his. After so much emptiness in her life, even the smallest amount of intensity was burning deliciously through her veins.

Sirius' hand started to move up underneath her shirt, but then he stopped and pulled away. "We should slow down," he panted. "I want to get it right this time."

He straightened up until he was standing in front of the table and Dawn nodded, sitting up on the edge. "You're right," she agreed, then smiled. Her hand slipped behind his neck to draw him closer. "But this is good..."

"Better than good, baby."

Sirius kissed her again, but much softer than before. This time they were taking the time to explore each other with their kisses, so absorbed in them that the opening and closing of the portrait failed to register.

James and Peter stopped and stared at the back of Sirius' head with some girl's hands tangling in his hair. From the boys' stairwell, Remus was waving them away frantically, but they were much more focused on other things.

"Great legs," James muttered to Peter, drinking in the long smooth leg braced against the chair. Peter nodded mutely.

Then James' eyes became occupied with the scene in a wider sense. From his angle, he couldn't see who the girl on the table was, but some poor studying nerd's books had been shoved aside by her backside in the frenzy of the snogging session. James' eyes narrowed as he glanced at the books. Who else did he know besides Dawn that had drawn little confused monkeys and sexy beetles all over her notebook?

"Bloody hell, Padfoot!" he yelled.

Sirius jumped and spun about, his latest little friend still kept out of sight behind his back. James looked livid.

"I know you're hurt, mate, and you're free to do whoever the hell you want now, but this is getting out of control," he thundered. "If you think I'm just going to sit back and let you fool around all over my sister's books, you've got another thing coming! What's with you acting like such a bastard lately? And just out of curiosity, who is your little tart this time, anyway?"

Throughout the whole tirade, Sirius' face had remained completely impassive. James was pretty sure he'd heard a groan from somewhere upstairs, but didn't pay it any mind. He was still staring stonily at Sirius, waiting for an answer to his question. When Sirius' companion slowly poked her head out from behind his shoulder, the way James' draw droppped was almost comical.

"Hi James."

"Hi Dawn."

James' voice sounded much higher than usual. And then he remembered something.

"Oh Merlin!" he yelped. "I just checked out my own sister's legs."

He ripped his glasses off and rubbed furiously at his eyes. Dawn and Sirius couldn't help but laugh at all James' horrified whimpering, and Peter was desperately talking his facial expression into an appropriate reaction. By the time Remus had come down from the stairs and Sirius had helped Dawn off the table, he'd fixed the mask of a vague smile over his face.

"If you had've bothered looking up, I could've saved you the trauma," Remus commented to James.

He was still staring at Dawn in complete mortification. Dawn couldn't resist giving him a stern look and arching an eyebrow.

"Did I hear you call me a tart? I'm pretty sure I did. Not the most flattering thing for a girl to hear from her own brother, you know. I'll have you know I'm no pushy queen of slut town, thank you very much."

James' cheeks flamed up. "Dawn, Kitten, I'm sos orry. I can't believe I offended you like that, will you forgive me for being a gigantic ass?"

Dawn held her glare for several more seconds, until she could no longer contain her grin. "Of course. I'm joking James. Relax."

James pouted, then grinned himself. "It's great to see you smile again. We should group hug on this."

Sirius immediately pulled Dawn close again, while James and Remus closed in on them. It was a while before they realised Peter hadn't joined them. "Wormtail, where are you?" Sirius called from within the mess of bodies.

"Here," Peter returned, finally stepping close enough to loosely put his arms around the group. He pulled away as soon as he could and the group hug finally disbanded.

Dawn smiled and took Sirius' ahnd to hold it tight, just because at long last she could. James was grinning so broadly his face was starting to feel the strain, but he didn't care. He was too heartened by Sirius and Dawn's reunion; if they could find happiness again, then there had to be hope for the rest of them.

A slight spark had flickered back in Remus' eyes as he took in the scene. "You know, I think this calls for a celebration."

Peter frowned. "A party?" He didn't particularly feel like partying.

"No," Remus smirked. "Not a party."

"Then what?" Sirius asked, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

"We're not the Marauders for nothing, you know."

"Oooh, a prank!" James deduced, his face lighting up even further. This afternoon was just getting better and better- he found a galleon in the hall, his sister and best friend were back together where they belonged, Remus was showing signs of real life, and now a prank on the horizon. Once Peter managed to crack a smile and Lily looked at him without wanting to hex him, they'd all be set.

"What do you have in mind?" Dawn asked, curious. It wasn't often that Remus was the instigator of a prank, but when he did come up with ideas, they were nothing if not innovative.

The werewolf's grin took on a cheeky edge. "Something to go off with a... bang."

That was, of course, exactly the right word to get Sirius and James moving. They hustled the other Marauders up to their dorm before anyone could appear in the Common Room to catch them out. Once their privacy was ensured, Remus outlined his idea and they spent the rest of the afternoon looking up the appropriate spells and collecting supplies. By the time dinner rolled around, they were all but prepared.

"So tomorrow at breakfast?" Dawn confirmed.

"Yeah," Remus grinned as they all headed down to the Great Hall together. "It'll have maximum effect then. It'll only take about five minutes to set up later tonight, and then we can set the Timer Charm to go off in the middle of breakfast."

As they walked, James and Sirius shared a grin overf the top of Dawn's head. A few people had done double-takes as they saw the Marauders reunited, and the boys had to admit there was no other word to describe what they were doing: strutting. They were moving through the caslte as though they owned the joint. Again. And it felt good.

Even Peter seemed to be catching the vibe and walking a little taller. When they reached the Great Hall, they shoved the doors open and paused in the opening to stare around insolently. Only when they sure the entire Hall had potted them in their moment of glory would they move towards the Gryffindor table to take their seats. The whispering about Sirius' hand enclosed firmly around Dawn's had taken on a life of its own before they had taken six steps.

Dawn plopped into a seat next to Lily, who was looking at her with a mix of amusement and honest happiness for her. "You'll do anything to keep yourself in the spotlight, won't you?" she muttered.

Dawn smirked as Sirius settled next to her. "You know me."

"Bloody Americans," the redhead kidded.

* * *

"Brace yourselves," Remus whispered, discreetly looking at his watch. "Five, four, three, two, one..."

**KABOOM!**

Practically the entire Great Hall started or screamed at the explosion of colour, many diving out of the way of the bright firework rockets whizzing about. Those who were unlucky enough to get hit with a rocket suddenly found themselves unbreakably tethered to another random, unfortunate person. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were looking at each other in mild alarm, wondering how they were each supposed to go about organising their classes for after the Easter break when they were unable to move more than a few paces away from each other.

Dawn giggled, much more content to be joined with Sirius than Lucius Malfoy looked to be stuck with Severus Snape. Or Lily looked to have Peter's company indefinitely. One look at those two told Dawn that Peter was spending the day in the Library whether he liked it or not. A few of the rockets had zipped out the open doors of the Great Hall to go zooming about the castle. When they heard a strangled shout of alarm from the corridor, James' face twisted into a savage grin. He may have bewitched a few of those rockets to chase Filch around the castle all day.

The students who hadn't been hit by rockets soon crawled out from underneath the House tables and began to applaud the display. Some of the fireworks had exploded, raining pretty spark showers down over the student body, while a lot of the fireworks were still going strong.

Lily, who looked as though she'd be impressed if it wasn't for the side effect of being attached to Peter, tossed her napkin on her empty plate and jumped up. "Come on, Pettigrew. The Library opens in five minutes."

Peter shoved on last, enormous forkful of ham and eggs into his mouth before scrambling after her. The sheer force of the Prefect's stride propelled him along when he lagged.

"Lucky bugger," James muttered, watching them go.

Dawn just patted his arm. A long shadow fell over the four remaining Marauders, they all turned to see Dumbledore standing behind them, watching them with curiosity sparking in his eyes.

James plastered on his innocent little boy smile. "Hi Professor. Lovely day today."

"Oh yes," Dumbledore replied amicably. "Remarkable day, it seems to have begun with quite a bang, wouldn't you say?"

"I guess you could look at it that way," Sirius said as non-comittally as he could.

"I would like you all in my office after breakfast," Dumbledore said before turning and walking with complete serenity through the fireworks display to exit the Great Hall.

"I feel like somebody should be playing the funeral march," Dawn whispered twenty minutes later, when they were turning down the hallway to get to the Headmaster's office.

"Really?" he returned with a little grin. "All those rockets have just put the 'Roger Ramjet' song in my head."

Dawn snickered. "And how someone from the so-called noble house of Black knows so much about old muggle cartoons, I'll never know."

"If there's one muggle invention the Wizarding World would do well to adopt, it's television," Sirius delcared as Remus gave the password to move the gargoyles aside.

"Hear, hear," seconded James.

They stepped onto the moving staircase and knocked briefly before entering Dumbledore's office. He was seated behind his desk, sipping a cup of tea and merely waved a hand to indicate they wouldn't be detained long enough to take a seat.

"I assume these fireworks, entertaining as they are, won't be overstaying their welcome?" he said, placing his cup back on his saucer.

"My professional opinion would be that whoever set them off knew they'd fizzle out in forty-eight hours or so," James said, smiling.

"And the... effects?" the Headmaster continuied, nodding his head at the strip of leather tying Dawn and Sirius together, choosing not to request a confession.

"I doubt they'd last longer than twelve hours or so," Remus joined in. "I'm sure nobody would want to be forcing someone to share a room with anyone they didn't want to or anything like that."

"Indeed. I am sure Professors McGonagall and Flitwick will be relieved to hear that. And where is Mr Pettigrew this morning? It seems a bit odd to have him missing from among you," Dumbledore commented, with a miniscule wink to betray his pleasure at the regained sense of solidarity among the Marauders.

"He's at the Library, sticking close by Evans for the day," Sirius quipped, making Dawn giggle.

"Much good may it do him," Dumbledore countered. "Well? It's holidays- off you go and enjoy them," he commanded with a smile far too mischievous for a man in his position of authority.

"Righteo, Headmaster," James said and saluted as the group filed out the door.

Remus went to the Kitchens to collect a picnic basket so piled with food that he had to use a Weightless Charm to be able to lug it around, and they all went out to spend the morning underneath their favourite tree. Dawn had brought a few textbooks with her, she and Remus continued loosely with their study schedule. While they discussed the Goblin Wars with as much enthusiasm as they could muster for so dreary a topic, James and Sirius cleared out the picnic basket. Once they'd unearthed the chocolate coated peanuts and caramel popcorn, they lounged back against the trunk of the tree to guess which window would be the next to light up from the frequent explosions of one of their rockets.

Remus and Dawn's interest in History of Magic study was short-lived, soon they were tossing the books aside in order to bask in the gentle Spring sun. Remus lounged against the grass, folding his arms behind his head and staring up at the sky. His mind was on Isabel, but the thoughts weren't as painful as they once were. It was as if talking to Dawn about seeing her had unlocked some secret floodgates within him and the torrents were bringing along happier memories for him to grasp at now. When he pictured Isabel, she was smiling now, and his deepest regret was not having said a proper goodbye when the time was right.

Dawn had fished a tub of yoghurt from the picnic basket and was leaning back against Sirius as they both ate, feeling the rhythmic crunch of his chewing behind her. She smiled when he rested his free hand comfortably on her hip.

She was just really beginning to relax when a new thought came to her. Her eyes sprang open wide and she bolted upright, scattering a few of Sirius' chocolate coated peanuts with a flailing arm.

"Oh no," she gasped. "I just thought- what happens if one of us has to pee?" she wailed, holding up the leather tie between her and Sirius.

The boys all burst out laughing at her horror. "Might want to lay off the yoghurt then," Remus commented drolly.

Dawn threw the tub aside so hastily it spilled its contents all over the grass. It was then that she noticed the evil smirks passing between James and Sirius, and realised that Sirius was already holding her arms, pinning them by her side.

"Well this might be a bit of a problem then, if you're really worried about having to pee," James grinned, and began to tickle her while she was defenceless.

"No!" Dawn screamed, choking up with helpless laughter and trying to twist away from James' fingers as much as Sirius' restraint would allow.

"Remus, help," she pleaded with her best friend.

Remus grinned. "You sure you want me to help? Ok then."

He moved over and began to help James tickle Dawn. Still screaming and laughing, Dawn twisted and writhed until she fought her way free of Sirius and began to tickle back. But she was no match for three on one. Especially when the 'three' were all bigger and stronger than her, and had the distinct advantage of having wrestled her to the ground and were currently all sitting on her stomach and legs.

"Need to pee yet?" Sirius teased.

"I think you're crushing my bladder," Dawn whimpered in reply.

Sirius' only response was to test the theory by bouncing lightly up and down on Dawn's stomach a couple of times.

"Why do you people enjoy hurting me so much?" she pouted. "I thought you loved me."

She put on her best mournful stare, and it was enough to buy her mercy at last. The boys all piled off her and placidly went back to doing whatever they'd been doing before. Dawn shook her head. Maybe sometimes it was safer for her not to be treated just like 'one of the gang'.

When lunch time rolled around, they found Lily and Peter already in the Great Hall when they arrived. Lily looked extremely annoyed while next to her Peter looked like a man who had been stranded on a desert island for a month, surviving only on water and berries. He was devouring everything in sight, pasuing every now and then to fill his pockets to stock up for the long afternoon ahead. Lily glanced up from her page when Dawn took the seat beside her but did not move to take any food.

"Madam Pince know you've got one of her books within a hundred yards of food?"

"Oh please," Lily muttered with a roll of her emerald eyes. She jerked her head towards Peter. "I think Madam Pince was just too happy to see the back of him. We weren't there half an hour before he started whingeing. 'I'm bored, I'm hungry'," she mimicked.

"It was like a long car trip with a toddler. Or my sister. Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

Dawn just laughed. Meanwhile, Peter was busy moaning to James.

"What do you see in her?" he cried. "She's the reincarnation of Grindelwald, I'm sure of it. She made me sit there and would barely let me say a word for _hours_. I was practically starving by the time she finally let me come to lunch, not that she would've cared if I had died of starvation. Probably just shove me off the seat and keep reading."

James just shrugged, his look seeming a bit softer than usual as he forced himself not to look at the girl in question. "Li- Evans is serious about her study, mate. She's passionate, alright?"

"She's psychotic," Peter countered.

James shot him a glare for one insult too many of Lily and Peter wisely turned his attention back to his lunch.

"Five minutes and we're back in the Library, Pettigrew," Lily announced, her eyes flying across the page even as she spoke.

Peter's face fell.

* * *

"Er, Prongs, have you got a minute?"

James paused to glance at Remus, his curiosity roused by the hesitant tone in the other boy's voice. Remus inclined his head to indicate they should step down an empty corridor to speak in private. Dawn and Sirius had walked a ways ahead, hand in hand and talking softly to each other. Both Remus and James were glad to see it; those two really had a lot to talk about. Peter had headed right for the Kitchens the moment the binding between himself and Lily had worn off and had yet to leave the comfort of the House-Elves' catering.

"What's wrong, Moony? You know how that serious face makes me worry."

"Sorry. I try not to think so much, but I just can't help it."

"You know thinking too much will give you wrinkles."

"That's worrying, not thinking. Besides, I'm a bloody werewolf. I've already got wrinkles!"

"No you don't," James said, looking offended by the mere suggestion of one of his dearest friends having wrinkles before his sixteenth birthday. Then he really looked at Remus. "Well maybe tiny ones round the eyes, but that's probably from screwing your face up at me all the time... yeah, like that! Er, what did you want to talk about?"

Remus just sighed and pushed James' not-exactly-heartening rambles from his mind. "I need you to do something with me tomorrow. Do you think you'll have time? it could take a while."

"I got no plans," James shrugged. "My time is yours, Rem."

Remus smirked. "Rem?"

"Bloody sister," James muttered.

"Well, I've got to go somewhere, and I don't know if I can do it alone," the werewolf continued. "Will you come to... Will you come with me to Isabel's grave ?"

"Sure," James said without hesitation. "We can use the Honeydukes passage to get to Hogsmeade and take the Knight Bus. Of course I'll come."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. What's a Marauder for?"

When the Marauders all convened for breakfast the following morning, both James and Remus were dressed in dark trousers and neatly pressed shirts. Only Dawn seemed to notice, her eyes clicked with comprehension after only a few minutes of thinking it over, but she held back any enquiries. While they were all eating, she busied herself felling her friends in on her plans for the day.

"Since it's the last Saturday of Easter holidays, I talked Lily into a little girl-time for pampering this afternoon," she grinned. "Of course, I hadto sacrifice my morning for Library time in negotiations to get her to agree, but it'll so be worth it."

Sirius patted her leg. "So you're telling me I'm on my own for today? That I'll have to keep myself amused?"

Dawn shrugged lightly. "Sorry, baby. Looks like a day with the boys for you. Besides, you know what they say- absence makes the heart grow fonder. You'll be missing me nicely by dinner time if I'm lucky."

"I'll be missing you before you walk out the door," he whispered in her ear, before lightly kissing the lobe and pulling away again. "Right then, poker, cigars and Firewhisky with the boys it is. Fellas?" he looked around at his friends for support.

"Sorry mate," James shrugged, casting a look at Remus. "Moony and I have somewhere to be. It's up to you and Peter to hold up our delinquency front today."

Sirius frowned at what felt like large-scale abandonment, but bounced back quickly. Peter may not be the most exciting Marauder to hang with, but they were still capable of making their own fun for one day.

"Ah well. We'll think of something cool to blow up, won't we Wormtail?"

Peter's eyes widened a little. "S-sure," he choked. He'd never blown anything up before. Not without James there to help him, anyway.

"Dawn, are you still coming?" Lily called down the table as she began to gather her things.

"Ill be along in a minute, Lil," Dawn called back and hurried to finish the rest of her breakfast.

"We should make a move too, I guess," Remus said and they all stood up.

He and James shared a sombre look, but they were unexpectedly interrupted by Dawn doing something she'd never done before. She fixed James' collar and then kissed Remus' cheek. She grinned at Peter briefly before smacking a kiss on Sirius' lips and turned to hurry away. Five steps later she paused, spun around, and flew back to Sirius.

"Have a good day. I love you," she breathed in his ear, stealing another kiss from him. When she reached the door and glanced back, he was grinning broadly at her.

"You ready?" James asked Remus, who only nodded in reply. "See you later, guys."

Remus and James went down one of the little-used hallways shooting off from Entrance Hall and, in the privacy of one of the alcoves, took cover underneath James' Invisibility Cloak. They moved stealthily through the castle until they were safely into the secret passage, and a short while later the two boys had stolen through Honeydukes and were standing on Main Street in Hogsmeade.

Nobody seemed to notice two boys who should not have been there appearing in the light human traffic of Saturday morning in the village, but James and Remus walked to a much quieter where there were less prying eyes.

"You sure?" James asked one final time.

Instead of responding, Remus took his wand from his pocket and extended his arm out over the kerb.

**BANG!**

They both jumped back as a triple-decker, purple bus snapped out of nothingness and came to a perfect halt right before them. 'The Knight Bus' was printed in shiny gold letters on the side. A weedy looking man who had to be almost thirty but still looked like a teenager appeared in the stairwell.

"Yeah..." he said without enthusiasm. "Knight Bus... Stu Shuntpike, Conductor... get in already."

Remus shrugged and climbed aboard. James gave the name of the cemetery West of London and the boys paid their fares. They'd barely taken a seat at a breakfast nook on the second level when the bus shot off so violently that they stumbled, and only Remus' quick Cushioning Charm saved James from a bruised backside.

There was no point trying to take in the scenery; if they looked out the windows for more than a few seconds the kaleidescope of blurred colour would give them motion sickness. Instead they sat in silence, munching absently on the bag of complimentary walnuts Stu had plonked down in front of them.

"Do you even remember when you lost your passion for your job?" James had deadpanned, but received no answer.

Twenty minutes later, they were setting their feet back down on solid ground, contemplating the wrought iron gates before them and what lay beyond. James just waited patiently and after a few minutes of gathering his nerve, Remus walked into the cemetary.

Just beyond the gates was a small tent housing a small, grandmotherly woman selling flowers and fussing over the arrangements tirelessly. Remus didn't even seem to notice her. A fair amount of his courage had been spent in just getting on that bus and then through those gates and he was busy rallying all his reserves.

James, however, had gone to look at the flowers. It just seemed like the right thing to do. He pulled his wallet out and checked how much muggle money he had. Ten dollars. He bit his lip and let out a soft hiss of disappointment. The cheapest bouquets were at least fifteen dollars.

"Can I help you, dearir?" the woman asked, her voice as soothing as a hot, sweet cup of tea.

James shook his head. "No thanks. I, er, haven't got enough, sorry."

"Oh, what a shame," the woman cooed. "And neither you or your friend over there have a parent here to help you out?"

James coloured a little, partly embarrassed that for the first time since he could remember he couldn't afford something he wanted on the spot, and aprtly worried about sliping up, saying too much and sounding suspicious.

"No... My friend just needed to come here before he changed his mind, I think. So we didn't wait. His girlfriend is buried here and he hasn't been back since the burial," he admitted, beginning to edge away.

"So young," the woman whispered, looking heartbroken on Remus' behalf. She watched him for a few moments, still standing off to one side and looking mentally bankrupt, before clasping her hands together decisively. "Well that just won't do now. I'm sure I can put something together for you."

James didn't know what to say, so he fell silent and watched the woman work. She began putting together an arrangement just for him, and he couldn't help but notice it was looking very much like the most expensive bouquets she had on display. When she was finished, he pulled out his lone ten dollar note and tried to hand it to her.

"Oh no, dearie. I couldn't. I don't want anything but to see you take those pretty flowers for your friend to lay down at his girlfriend's grave. There's a good lad. And you take care now, you hear?" she said earnestly, pushing both the flowers and the money into James' hands.

"I will. Thankyou," James said with a sincere smile. He pocketed his money and carefully cradled the flowers in his arms.

Remus blinked when the bouquet was presented to him. "Oh James, they're lovely. But I just don't know if I'm ready for that kind of committment," he said sardonically.

"Git," James whipped back. "You're not my type of Prefect anyway, mate."

Remus gave a slight smirk and took the flowers. Both boys well remembered the way to the gravesite, without another word they began the slow march down that path. His feet felt heavier with each step, but Remus kept himself moving until they'd reached the right row. James grasped his arm briefly before standing back to let his friend go on alone.

The grave looked different from the last time he'd seen it. The shiny headstone had been put in place now and the mound of dirt had been turfed and cultivated. But it was still so impersonal to Remus. Desolate.

He stopped at the foot of the grave, uncertain about what exactly he wanted to do now that he'd come.

"Er... We got you some flowers," he began. "Well, um, James got them for me, but they're for you. I hope you like them... You should have some colour around here, at least."

Careful of where he was treading, Remus skirted the turf-line and moved up towards the headstone. He knelt in the grass and carefully laid the flowers over Isabel's grave.

One finger reached out and, trembling, traced the 'I' of 'Isabel'.

A tear fell onto the grave.

"I'll never stop missing you. You know that, don't you? I'll always wish... I'll always wonder how things would be different if you could be a part of it. So much has happened already, but it just isn't the same to me without you."

There were tremors in his voice, but a tiny smile was on his lips as Remus sat, cross-legged in the gras and proceeded to tell Isabel everything and anything that crossed his mind.

James stood back and watched Remus creep up to the grave, tentative at first, but becoming more and more at ease with each passing minute. A long time passed, and when Remus ran out of words he sat in silence, memories of Isabel companion enough for the time being. A part of him wanted to stay. He could just just sit here next to Isabel's grave until the grass grew up over him and he was part of the earth, too. But he knew it wasn't time for him yet. He owed it to Isabel and to himself to keep living.

He reached over and laid his palm flat against the ground as if he could take the essence from the body buried beneath into him. Then he brought his fingers to his lips, taking the kiss from them and pressing it to the name carved into the headstone.

"Goodbye, Isabel," he whispered at last.

By the time he'd gained his feet, James was there by his side. They stood over the grave in silent reflection for a while longer before Remus gave a decisive nod.

"I'm ready to go now."

* * *

Dawn capped the bottle of nail polish and set it on her bedside table. Lily was studying her new glittery pink fingernails with interest.

"I can't remember the last time I painted my nails," she commented.

Dawn grinned, taking a Drying Charm to the redhead's purple toenails. "Facials, manicures, pedicures, who says you have to study to be constructive, huh?"

She finished drying Lily's nails, pulled the dividers from between her toes and took a look around at the remains of their girly afternoon together. The dorm room floor was littered with nail polish bottles, Honeydukes wrappers, hot towels, and a couple of bowls that had contained what Sirius liked to call 'expensive mould' for their facials. All in all, the telltale signs of a successful afternoon of pampering.

"This is just what I needed," Lily admitted. "Just a couple of hours to recharge..."

"But you're already itching to get back to the Library," Dawn finished, reading the look on her face.

She shrugged. "It relaxes me. I like feeling constructive."

"Then go," Dawn smiled. "I'll handle the clean-up. It gives me a good excuse to swipe that last candy bar, anyway."

Lily hesitated. "Are you certain? I can wait. I mean, we haven't done your toenails yet."

"Don't sweat it," Dawn said, waving her off. "I'll do it in the boys dorm. I think I've made Sirius miss me enough by now... well, he'd better be missing me because to be honest I'm kinda missing him too. And they're all secretly enthralled by beauty products anyway. I think even by readig the labels they can't quite figure out how they work or something."

Lily laughed. "I'll tell you what; if any one of those boys are sporting nail polish by dinner tonight, I'll owe you a butterbeer."

"You're on. Now go- the books are calling you home," Dawn cried dramatically.

After Lily was gone, it only took Dawn a few minutes to pack away all her cosmetics and accessories, most of which had been well-received Christmas gifts from the Potters. Then she vanished her left-over rubbish and se;ected her nail polish and toe dividers to take over to the boys' dorm. She crept on over, feeling a tingle of delight in her stomach. Once upon a time, she'd felt more at home in the Marauders' dorm than in her own. It was nice to be welcomed back with open arms. With only a brief knock on the door, she slid into the room and looked around.

Peter was scrunched up in one corner of his bed, trying in vain to get his holiday assignments done. Sirius was sprawled against the wall, a haughtily bored but astonishingly handsome in Dawn's eyes look on his face. He was pelting a super bouncy-ball around the dorm, using his wand to 'Accio' it back into his hand each time it came to a stop. His face lit up when he saw Dawn and he bounced to his feet with enthusiasm to rival the little rubber ball that had rolled away under James' bed, probably never to be seen again.

"Hey, baby. How was your day?"

Dawn smiled at his enthusiasm and kissed him hello. "It was fun. How about you boys, what did you get up to? I shouldn't be expecting a screaming McGonagall tearing up here anytime soon, should I?"

She playfully stared at Sirius, then at Peter, who just shook his head and returned to his books. Dawn but had no time to ponder Peter's apparent distance from her because Sirius was sighing dramatically and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Bad day, baby?" she asked, rubbing at the hands that were now resting on her stomach.

"Uh-huh. Our big explosive prank ended up just firing blanks, so Wormtail and I spent two hours running around the castle with a mixture of seaweed sludge and cow intestines looking for a safe place to dump it."

"Eew. Not exactly sorry about the blanks then, if the alternative was firing that stuff. Where did you dump it, anyway?"

"Don't know," Sirius said airily. "Wormtail just said he'd found a good spot for it and we went to lunch"

Her eyes flicked to Peter, and she thought that the wide forehead showing over the top of his book was flushed. She was busily weighing up the pros and cons of interrogating Peter to find out what he'd done with the waste when the dorm room door opened once again.

"You'll never guess what we came across when we were crawling out of the Honeydukes passage just now," Remus said drolly.

He stepped aside, and there stood James covered in green sludge and pinkish cow intestines, not looking half as calm about the situation as Remus. There was a piece of cow... something stuck to the rim of his glasses.

"Meep!" Peter took one look and cowered behind his book with increased determination.

Dawn and Sirius, both sets of blue eyes widened with shock, just stared at James in silence. He took a long, hard look at each of his friends.

"Ok. Before I start hexing, does anyone have an explanation for this?" He picked a strap of seaweed from his shoulder and threw it down to the floor, where it made a wet, slapping noise.

Sirius looked at Peter, or at as much of the trembling boy as was visible, then turned back to his best friend. "Looks like you've been walking around with your eyes closed, mate. Maybe you should get your glasses checked next Hogsmeade weekend."

With a snort of disgust, James stalked into the bathroom and whipped the door closed. Everyone else in the dorm seemed to be holding their breath. Dawn counted to ten in her head, and then everyone burst out laughing all at once.

A few seconds later, the bathroom door swung open and James stood there in his gold boxers, fuming. He glared his supposed friends into silence then disappeared, slamming the door again. Without hesitation, he stripped his boxers off and stepped straight into a steaming shower. He scrubbed furiously at himself with the soap until the vaguely fleshy and rotten smells had gone, along with the grimy feeling in his skin. Next he doused his head in the water and shampooed his hair more times in ten minutes than he had in the past month.

As the last of the suds were washing away down the drain, James felt an icy prickling down the back of his neck, completely at odds with the heat of the water. He turned, opened his eyes, and bellowed in horror. There was a silvery, hazy outline of a person standing just outside the shower stall. James snatched his glasses off the vanity unit and shoved them on, wiping hastily at the fog in them.

"Myrtle!"

She was hovering on the spot, a silvery blush lighting up her cheeks and her eyes wide... And staring.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?"

His voice seemed to shock some movement back into the ghost. She turned her back on James to give him privacy, and also to hide the grin she just couldn't stop from sneaking out. James shut off the water and dived for cover beneath the nearest towel, wrapping it around his waist and tying it securely.

"Well?" he demanded when still she offered no explanation. His face was on fire. "What do you mean by sneaking into my bathroom and perving on me in the shower, eh?"

"I'm sorry," Myrtle squeaked, upset now that James was angry with her. "I didn't mean to... perv. Really, I didn't! Lily said Dawn would be up here, so I came up through the sink pipes to visit. When I saw that someone was in here, I was just going to leave, but then you turned around and I... forgot I was supposed to be leaving."

James released his frustration with a growl. "Fine. You didn't mean it. Now can you go so I can get dressed in peace?" he said, not leaving much room for discussion.

"Ok," Myrtle agreed. She floated towards the wall, but paused before going through.

"Oh and James," she said coyly, tossing a look over her shoulder at him. "You're very nice looking, you know."

He sputtered in her wake. "Merlin kill me now..."

Mrytle floated through the wall and into the main part of the Marauders' dorm. The four people in there tossed her a casual wave and a greeting, then all did double-takes. It took them only a few seconds to realise that the ghost had just passed through from the bathroom, where James was still in the shower.

A slow grin spread over Sirius' face as he looked to the ghost. Although he'd seen her, been in her bathroom haunt once before, he hadn't been formally introduced to Dawn's deceased friend until earlier in the week. Myrtle had whined in a torturously high-pitched voice for ten minutes about how upset Dawn had been with his man-whoring ways while they weren't together until Sirius had been begging for Merlin that McGonagall would happen by and catch him out of bounds. But once Dawn had intervened on his behlaf and he had half a chance, it hadn't taken him long to sweet talk her into liking him. He suspected the glow in Dawn's eyes as she looked at him had a lot to do with it, though.

"Myrtle, tell me you just walked in on James in the shower," he pleaded.

"I didn't walk in on him," Myrtle said blankly. "I floated through the sink pipes."

"Yes! Bloody priceless!"

Sirius pumped his fist into the air so vehemently that Dawn had to swing her nail polish bottle out of the way in order to save it. She and Sirius were sharing the space of his bed, Sirius pretending not to be captivated by the sight of Dawn putting funny things in between her toes and painting them a sparkly blue to match her already-painted fingernails.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"S'ok," Dawn said, screwing the cap back on the bottle and putting it aside to prevent any possible spillages.

Mrytle had drifted over to chat to Remus and Peter, leaving Dawn and Sirius to themselves. Sirius leaned in to nuzzle Dawn's neck.

"I don't know why you girls are so into all that stuff for," he said, picking up a hand to examine the blue nails. "You're perfect without even trying, Dawn, so why go to all the effort? You don't see blokes walking around with colours all over their bloody nails."

He kissed her hand and dropped it back down. Dawn spent a few seconds weighing up Sirius' words. Sure, he'd basically told her he thought she was wasting her time trying to look good, but he had meant it because to him, she already looked good. She smiled, easily able to live with that.

"It's fun. And I've seen guys wear nail polish plenty of times, actually," she contradicted.

"What? Like strange American cross-dressing Muggles or something?" Sirius said. "They don't count."

"Yes they do! And I wasn't talking about transvestites, I happened to have been talking about some really cool guys who looked great with their nails painted," she insisted.

"Like who?"

"Like Spike."

"Spike?" Sirius repeated. "As in 'William the Bloody'? You're telling me one of the most vicious vampires in the recent history of both our worlds paints his nails? You're pulling my leg, baby, aren't you?"

She arched an eyebrow. "I'm not pulling anything, it's true. Oz as well. They wore black nail polish..." she let out a little giggle. "I remember I used to look at Spike's nails, all black and smooth, and I thought he was so sexy..."

He choked on the breath he'd been drawing. Dawn patted his back while staring innocently up at him.

"What, honey? You can't honestly think that I'd never had a schoolgirl crush on anyone before, and besides, it doesn't really matter if I did. One; anyone I'd ever had a crush on is now in a world I won't ever be able to get back to, and two; it's _you_ I fell in love with."

"Really?" Sirius suddenly looked much more at ease.

"Really, really," she promised. "Now will you drop the insecurity look, it doesn't suit you."

"Well..." his eyes shifted sideways to the little bottles lined up on his bedside table. There was a black one. "Do you really think nail polish looks good on blokes?"

Dawn's grin was wide with triumph as she reached for the little black bottle.

* * *

"This is it. Our last shot."

"I know. It's all or nothing now. Do you think we can make it?"

"We have to."

"We will. Or we'll die trying."

"Oh just get on with it!" a voice interrupted, bringing a halt to the hushed, dramatic conversation.

Dawn and Lily turned and stared Sirius down. "This happens to be a momentous occasion," Dawn informed him.

"Not if you just sit there chatting all night and don't actually do anything."

Lily huffed, but accepted the challenge. The time for talk was over. She picked up her wand and trained it on the CD sitting on the coffee table in the Common Room. She took a deep breath and shot one last glance at Dawn for a confidence booster. She jabbed her wand sharply forwards, then waved it in a small cirlce whilst reciting the incantation she'd learned off by heart by this stage. The CD rose into the air and the girls froze in anticipation.

_'One for the money-'_

Lily raised her eyebrows.

_'Two for the show-'_

Dawn's head turned sharply to look at Lily.

_'Three, get ready-'_

Smiles broke out on both girls' faces.

_'Now go cat go_

_But don't you step on my blue suede shoes...'_

They were on their feet by this stage, limbs flailing everywhere. It was not quite dancing, with a lot of jumping up and down mixed in and a little hugging and squealing for good measure. Slowly, the squealing, the jumping and the dancing fell away, and all of a sudden, Dawn and Lily were just hugging. Fiercely.

Little tears had sprung to Lily's eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Lils."

They broke apart, and the four boys scattered around them gave a round of applause. Laughing, the girls made a quick bow each.

"Just in time, too," Lily commented. "That was Petunia's last Elvis CD."

Now that she'd worked the spell out, Lily took away the Elvis and broke out the CD collections that both she and Dawn had in the girls' dorm. She began to play the music she most enjoyed while she was in the Muggle world while the Common Room settled more peacefully.

Dawn had plopped down next to Sirius, taken her Dream Journal out, and was currently chewing her lip as her quill flew across the page, trying to keep up with whatever was coming to her mind. Sirius had begun to lightly stroke her hair and Peter was daydreaming, his eyes following the path of Sirius' hand. Lily frowned and looked closer. It almost seemed as though Peter wasn't really dreaming, but was jealously coveting what Sirius was allowed to touch. She shook the thoughts off and turned away. It was all in her imagination, surely.

Keenly aware of the way a pair of relentless hazel eyes were watching her, Lily fell into a conversation with Remus.

"You did well on this," her fellow Prefect said, and she perked up instantly. Praise always had that effect on her.

"Thanks. But now I can't help but wonder what else can be done to improve it. I mean, there's track skipping, fast-forward and rewind, random selection, multi-disc programming, bass and volume control..." She began to rattle off ideas as quickly as they would come to her.

Dawn had finished reading, and was now regarding what was on her page. Sirius turned his head and began to read over her shoulder. She'd scribbled the date, the time, and then 'Tara' before recording what was obviously a voice she'd heard only in her mind. He smiled. He could relate to the words, identify with them almost perfectly.

_Things fall apart. They fall apart so hard. You can't ever... put them back the way they were. I'm sorry, it's just... You know, it takes time. You can't just... have coffee and expect- There's just so much to work through. Trust has to be built again, on both sides... You have to learn if... if we're even the same people we were, if you can fit in each other's lives. It's a long, important process, and... can we just skip it? Can- can you just be kissing me now?_

Sirius tightened his hold on Dawn as she flipped the Journal closed and put it aside. A new song began to play, he recognised the tune and couldn't resist singing along to her.

_If you said goodbye to me tonight_

_There would still be music left to write_

_What else could I do? I'm so inspired by you._

_That hasn't happened for the longest time._

The other three boys and Lily were all gaping at him, but Sirius didn't care. Dawn's eyes had brightened and were fixed eagerly on his face. He pulled her up and began swayng her back and forth in his arms.

_Once I thought my innocence was gone_

_Now I know that happiness goes on_

_That's where you found me, when you put your arms around me_

_I haven't been there for the longest time_

At this point, James and Remus shared a glance and realised that the temptation to join in was just too much to pass up. They put their heads together and began to croon along, giving Sirius a hand with the chorus.

_Whoa, oh, oh, oh, for the longest time_

_Whoa, oh, oh, oh, for the longest time_

_I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall_

_And the greatest miracle of all_

_Is how I need you, and how you needed me too_

_That hasn't happened for the longest time._

_Maybe this won't last very long _

_But you feel so right _

_And I could be wrong _

_Maybe I've been hoping too hard _

_But I've gone this far _

_And it's more than I hoped for _

_Who knows how much further we'll go on? _

_Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone _

_I'll take my chances I forgot how nice romance is _

_I haven't been there for the longest time _

_I had second thoughts at the start _

_I said to myself - "Hold onto your heart" _

_Now I know the woman that you are _

_You're wonderful so far _

_And it's more than I hoped for _

_I don't care what consequence it brings _

_I have been a fool for lesser things _

_I want you so bad I think you ought to know that _

_I intend to hold you for the longest time _

_Whoa oh oh oh, for the longest time _

_Whoa oh oh, for the longest time _

_Whoa oh oh, for the longest time_

Peter was staring open-mouthed at the entire performance, but a laughing Lily gave them an enthusiastic round of applause. She was too impressed and light to even bother scowling when James glanced back at her. Sirius, however, was busy sealing his sung pledge to Dawn with a deep, promising kiss.

* * *

**A.N: **Took forever, I know. Next up- life changes yet again for our young Marauders... R&R, love you all the more for it! XX00


	36. Deliver Me

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing. I'll probably never own anything. The Buffy stuff is all Joss Whedon's, the Harry Potter stuff is all J.K. Rolwing's and 'Deliver Me' is by Sarah Brightman.

**A.N:** MASSIVE apologies for the lateness of this. This last month has been murder, I'm hoping to make it up to you all in this next month because I have a break from uni. Have the next chapter like ¾ written already! And this is a little longer than usual- almost 10 000 words. Please forgive me, I value all your support and love my wonderful reviewers. Love Anoron! XX

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

**Deliver Me**

"I'm still not completely sure about how this works."

"Well, at some point you could take your clothes off."

_Slap_

"Ouch, baby," Sirius said, but he was laughing as he rubbed at his arm. "I was only joking, no need to get your knickers in a knot."

"I know," Dawn said, pulling back a little to fix her eyes on him. "But thinking of being naked might lead to me actually being naked, and then soon you would be naked too, which makes acts of nakedness far too tempting to pass up. And I still think we should be playing this out slowly," she explained.

Sirius nodded, his face full of sincerity. "I know, Dawn. I do agree with you on this, you know that right? I'm only playing with you, I'm sorry if it comes off like I'm pressuring you."

Dawn snuggled back into Sirius' chest, pleased with the way they were agreeing on the new direction of their relationship. But that didn't mean she still didn't have some concerns. "It's just that I do remember what it was like between us and I've never really stopped craving that kind of electricity. It's just too easy to lose control too soon, and I'm afraid if I start something, I won't be able to stop."

"We can keep this together baby," Sirius insisted. "Look, I'll prove it to you."

He pushed her down against the blanket spread beneath them and began to kiss her. It went on for several more minutes, and just as they were broaching the point where just kissing was likely to become a whole lot more, Dawn and Sirius instinctively pulled apart at the same moment.

"See? Not even a problem."

They laid back, staring up at the stars. It was such a clear Spring night that after the curfew had hit, they'd borrowed James' Invisibility Cloak and brought a blanket out to the little gully by the lake. There was still a bite of cold in the air and they were rugged up in woolly jumpers- Easter additions from Mom Potter- but neither Dawn or Sirius minded in the least that they still had to snuggle up together for warmth.

They watched the skies for a long while, not really noticing the time that was passing them by. There were a few wisps of cloud rolling in over the stars and Dawn let out a little shiver.

"Getting cold?" Sirius asked, rubbing her arms a bit to warm them up.

"Yeah."

"You want to go back inside?"

"Not yet. It's so peaceful out here- even the Giant Squid is quiet tonight."

"Mmm."

Dawn arched her neck so she could kiss Sirius' chin. "You sound a little tired. You want to bail?"

His eyes were closed, but Sirius shook his head. "Nah. I'm relaxed. I could stay forever."

"I might be in on that."

Just then, the coulds neither had noticed sweeping in with increased vehemence broke into their plans with a loud clap of thunder.

They bolted into a sitting position.

"You gotta be kidding me!"

Before Sirius had even finished his groaning statement, pellets of rain were bombarding them. Dawn squealed, drenched within moments, and the pair began scrambling to get the blanket, the Cloak and themselves out of the downpour.

The grass was so slick that they couldn't run, they had to shuffle their feet carefully along and hope for the best. Dawn slipped. Sirius tried to grab her but with no firm footing of his own, he fell too and they both ended up in the mud.

Sirius quickly looked to Dawn. "Are you ok?" he bellowed over the roar of the raindrops.

But she was laughing. Little giggles at first, but even as Sirius watched it became out and out hysterical laughter. She couldn't help it. The rain, the mud, the fact that her butt was just a little sore and very dirty where she'd hit the ground, the dollop of mud on Sirius' cheek from where he'd tried to wipe his face... it was all just too funny.

Sirius just shook his head, chuckling, and when Dawn had settled down enough, he guided her to her feet again. They set off towards the castle once more, strolling along as if it was not a stormy Spring night, but a clear Summer's day.

When they reached the heavy front doors of the castle, they paused and turned to look back out at the night. The stars had been swallowed up in the cloud cover, but the water made the blades of grass below glisten just as brightly as starlight could make them. Dawn smiled at Sirius, shivering, and he gave her a quick kiss and shoved the door open. They stole inside, and a couple of quick Drying Charms later they were under the Invisibility Cloak and fleeing the scene before Filch could arrive. Sirius hastily dried their muddy footprints behind them until they were safely back in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Dawn giggled. Behaving like a perfect gentleman at the end of a date, Sirius took her arm and walked her over to the base of the girls' stairs.

"Well, I had a great time tonight," he announced, as if he wasn't swimming in mud and damp clothing.

"Me too. We should do that again sometime," Dawn agreed.

Then the couple looked at each other and burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of their own behaviour. They hadn't behaved like nervous kids reading from a script the first time they'd started this dating thing, so why did it seem like they were doing that now?

"We're so ridiculous," Dawn snorted. "Ok, I'm going to have a shower and get to bed. We have classes tomorrow. Goodnight."

"'Night, baby."

After a slow-burning goodnight kiss, Sirius cocked his head to the side and studied Dawn.

"It's a little bit scary, isn't it?" he mused.

"What?" Dawn said with a smile of confusion.

"I love you."

She just gave him one of her secret smiles, kissed his cheek (the one not smeared with mud), and disappeared upstairs, leaving Sirius only the Invisibility Cloak and a wet blanket for company.

When Dawn reached her dorm, the curtains were already drawn around Michelle and Candice's beds, but Lily was just coming out of the bathroom, towelling off her hair. It was clear from the pile of books on the bedside table that the Prefect had been studying late. Again.

When Lily looked up and saw Dawn just sneaking in, she stopped to stare. Dawn was muddy and wet all over, her hands were filthy and her hair had gone all ratty and stringy from rainwater. There was wet grass and mud all over her bum, too.

Dawn just smiled blandly. "It's a little bit wet out tonight."

* * *

First thing on Monday morning when they filed in for their first class after the Easter break, Professor McGonagall launched into a long lecture about the closer-than-ever OWLs.

"By now we've finished covering everything that is required knowledge to achieve the Ordinary Wizarding Level, but by no stretch of the imagination is that an invitation for you to slack off," she said sharply.

A couple of the Hufflepuffs in the front row had started to look a little guilty. The majority of students, however, looked either supremely uncomfortable or just a little self-satisfied. McGonagall's gaze swept around the room, guaging each of her students' reactions as she continued.

"The next six weeks, in all your classes I expect, will be devoted entirely to revision and the time you would normally be spending on homework you should now be using to study. Just how many of you have actually begun your exam preparation?"

Lily's hand leapt high into the air. Dawn and Remus glanced at each other, shrugged, and then lazily raised their hands just a little, too. Among the rest of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, however, a little wave of sniggers was sweeping through the Transfiguration room. Remus and Dawn quickly dropped their hands back into their laps.

"You think it funny, do you?"

The whip-like snap of McGonagall's voice silenced the room at once.

"You may lower your hand now, Miss Evans," she said, her voice much clamer but as stern as ever. "I do not spend my time and effort trying to teach students only to have them make a mockery of their own education. Is that clear? Now today we are beginning our revision with a quiz."

The class didn't even dare groan as the formidable Professor began to place the test papers upside-down on each student's desk. When she was finished, she returned to her position at the head of the class.

"I expect every effort to be made in this test, however inconsequential it may seem. The papers will be handed back to you on Thursday so you may see where improvement is needed. You will then re-sit this test bext Monday, and you will continue to do so every Monday until you are capable of answering all questions correctly. Turn your parchment over and begin."

The students began the quiz with varying levels of enthusiasm. Lily was the first with a quill in her hand; she was ripping through the questions as if she'd been waiting her whole life for this one chance to prove her academic prowess. Peter, on the other hand, turned his quiz paper over with trembling fingers, as of the parchment had venemous fangs laying in wait for the moment he got too close. James and Sirius were taking their sweet time getting started, identical looks on their faces proclaiming that if they knew this was what they were in for, they would have made other plans for their Monday morning.

Remus was shewing his lip in concentration as he scribbled away, but there was no real concern evident on his face. He knew what he was doing. Sirius slid his gaze across to see how Dawn was faring and just rolled his eyes. She was actually smiling as she filled in her answers. Not her broad 'I'm-having-so-much-fun-right-now' grin, but the softer, smaller smile of empowerment she wore when she first realised she could handle the task set out before her.

A few minutes before the end of the lesson, McGonagall stopped them to collect all the papers. Most people were finished the quiz anyway and the Professor wryly wondered if Dawn, Sirius, Remus and James really believed she hadn't noticed them magically passing notes for the last fifteen minutes. Not that Lily Evans neurotically checking and re-checking her answers to the point where she was correcting the grammar was more desirable behaviour. It would really be more ideal if those five could find something in the middle ground for their post-test ettiquette. And by some miracle drag Pettigrew up to par while they were at it.

With that thought, the bell rang and McGonagall was shooing her students off into the halls. Peter couldn't get out of there quick enough; he took off for his Ancient Runes class so quickly that he even forgot to say goodbye to his friends.

"Peter's a bit more odd than usual these days," Remus mused with a shrug. "See you."

He and Lily took a different direction, heading off to Arithmancy while Dawn and the two remaining boys started the journey up to Divination.

"Can't we just skive it off?" James whined. "I'm hungry, and I hate being told I'm going to die."

"You had breakfast an hour ago and you've had the last two weeks off," Dawn replied firmly. "Get your skinny butt up to that Divination tower or I'm owling Dad on you!"

Sirius snickered. His two favourite people in the world were getting way too good at this sibling thing. The indignant look on James' face was priceless.

"Daddy's girl," he sniped back. "Like you're one to talk about skinny backsides."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Dawn smirked as the trio arrived at the Divination tower and took the table closest to the back of the room, and hopefully furthest away from the Professor.

Professor Damus didn't look her usual vague self as she cleared her throat to gain the class' attention. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, making it seem as if she'd tangled herself up in her own shawls and her long, straggly red hair had been swept haphazardly up in a silk scarf. There was a pouty, sulky look on her face.

"Well, as I've been informed," she began in clipped tones, "a part of your eductational requirement includes exam preparation. Of course I hace tried to explain that the wondrous study of Divination transcends all forms of assessment, but sometimes there is just no reasoning with the Mundane."

Her dark eyes shifted to Dawn and brightened a notch. "You are either Gifted..." her eyes moved to Sirius and she barely disguised a scowl, "... or not. But I am bound to spending time reinforcing the theories behind each tool of the Sight we have encountered this year. Therefore take out your quills and parchment."

James glared at Dawn. "When you least expect it, Kitten..." he said threateningly.

Dawn immediately shifted into 'who me?' mode. "Make it up to you? I'll do your Dream Journal for you all week," she offered, and James grinned.

All day, the fifth years encountered the same thing in every class they attended. Professors lecturing them about OWLs and deciding quizzes would be the best form of revision. By the end of the day, only Lily wasn't thoroughly sick of hearing about exams. Even Dawn and Remus had secretly begun to think that if they knew it was going to be shoved down their throats so forcefully, they wouldn't have bothered beginning revision early.

None of them could wait to get back to Gryffindor twoer and unload their bags as soon as the final bell had rung. Their robes, grey sweaters and ties came off too until they were clad in the bare minimum of the Hogwarts uniform; white shirts with grey pants for the boys, skirts for the girls.

As Dawn and Lily came back into the Common Room after shedding their excess gear, Sirius caught Dawn's hand and pulled her off to one side. He winked.

"So Miss Summers, any plans for Friday night?" he enquired with complete politeness.

Dawn fought to keep her giggles back. "No, Mr Black, no plans to speak of."

"Excellent. Will you join me for dinner? There's a great little place on the seventh floor I know of," he said smoothly.

"I'd love to," Dawn smiled as Sirius lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Are you two done being tiresomely romantic yet?" James broke in, popping up between the two of them. "The rest of us would like to get to dinner some time this evening."

Lily tutted loudly. Trust Potter to so rudely interrupt a lovely, private moment with one of his boorish remarks. Of course Lily knew the 'privacy' part of the moment was debateable, what with the whole Common Room listening in, but at least nobody else had been rude enough to interrupt.

"Yeah, yeah. We're coming," Dawn said, rolling her eyes.

They strolled back through the castle in peace and sat down at their House table, taking in the spread before them. Dawn started pouring out the pupmkin juice for the group, and while she was busy, Remus fixed her plate for her.

"Gravy, Kitten?" he asked, holding the silver gravy boat at the ready.

"Yes please."

"Say when."

"Just pour until the peas are swimming in it," Dawn replied, passing out filled goblets.

"Got it."

"Thanks."

Soon enough, everyone was eating at their leisure, taking the time to talk and laugh in between bites. The whole Great Hall was abuzz with the usual clamour of activity, and Dawn was trying her best to look stern and unamused as James used two baby carrots to re-enact his latest duel with Severus Snape. He was even doing the voices.

"'I'll drown you in the grease from my nose, Potter'," he mimicked in a high-pitched voice. Then he deepened his voice much more than usual for his own reply.

"'Never! Any Snape who dares attack a Potter will get his panst hexed off'... Say, that ain't such a bad idea, Carrot-Prongs."

Dawn glanced at Lily, who caught her eye and then quickly looked away. Neither girl could quite hide her amusement. Remus was smiling, Sirius had been sniggering into his mashed potato the whole time, and Peter was giggling so uncontrollably that he was starting to squeak and hiccough in his attempts to breathe.

Dawn picked up her fork, hoping another mouthful of roast lamb would keep the traitorous smile away.

_CRACK_.

The sound of gunshots tore through her mind, but it was in her chest that Dawn felt the bullet. She gasped in pain, her fork clattering back to her plate. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

She was looking at Sirius and her stomach plummeted somewhere around her ankles in horror. She could see a fine spray of red blood across the chest of his white shirt. He didn't look in pain, though, just concerned. He was looking down at her clothing.

"Your shirt..."

The moment he spoke, the red was gone from his shirt. Frowning, Dawn looked down at herself. When she'd dropped her fork, gravy had splattered all over her. For some strange reason, though, Sirius' words were swirling around and around in her head, but it wasn't his voice she was hearing.

It was Tara's.

'Your shirt. Your shirt. Your shirt. Your shirt...'

"Oh." It felt as if an endless well of despair, loss and confusion was being drilled right through her; the pain in her chest had begun to burn and her head had acquired a dull, pounding ache.

The Marauders and Lily were all in an uproar. James had already sprung to his feet, ready to scoop Dawn up in his arms and take her right to the Hospital Wing. Sirius was pushing her hair back, derperately trying to see her face.

"Dawn? Baby, what is it? Where does it hurt?"

Dawn shook her head, breathing as if she'd been doing laps of the Quidditch pitch. "No- I'm not... I just-" she looked at him with confusion-hazed eyes. "My head hurts. I think I need to lay down for a while."

Lily offered to take her up to the dorm at once, but Sirius was already helping Dawn to her feet and shook his head.

"It's ok, Tigerlily. I got her," he assured the redhead.

With an arm about her, Sirius steered Dawn back through the castle and into Gryffindor tower. With dinner in full swing, there was nobody in the Common Room to see the illegal Animagus take on his alternate form and trot straight up the girls' stairs. In the safety of the girls' dorm, Sirius reverted to his two-legged state and helped Dawn over to sit on the edge of her bed. Faint lines of discomfort had appeared on her face and her hand was pressing against her chest, unwittinglt smearing the gravy stains further.

"Baby?" he prompted in a whisper, starting to pull her shoes and socks off.

"Something's wrong," Dawn said brokenly. "Not here, not us, I don't know how I know, I can just feel it. Whatever's happening, it's bad."

He was still kneeling in front of her. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

She shook her head, feeling the pain pound a little more sharply in protest. "No thanks. The last thing we need is for you to get sprung by Candice and Michelle. I just want to go to sleep until this feeling goes away."

He nodded, moving up to kiss her forehead. "All right. You ok to get changed?"

"Yeah," she whispered, knowing that if she hadn't been able to, she was with the one male in the world she knew she could both trust and feel comfortable with in such a situation.

"Ok. I'll ask Lily to come check up on you in a little while. You just sleep, love, and feel better."

"'Night, Siri..." Dawn mumbled tiredly, sounding more like a five year-old being kept up way past her bedtime than a fifteen year-old turning in at seven-thirty.

"'Night, Dawnie."

He hesitated for only a second at the door, then left Dawn alone to rest. he took a few minutes, moving as gingerly as possible as she shed her clothing down to her underwear. She couldn't even spare the energy to pick her things up from the floor.

Instead, she pulled something long and white out from under her pillow, all wispy cotton, satin and lace. While summoning the energy to slip it over her head, Dawn studied the nightgown, pondering the memories it brought up.

Touched as she was that Mom Potter had bought it for her over Christmas, Dawn had to admit it was the most horrible article of clothing she'd ever worn, and back in January she'd had no qualms in donating it to Isabel's short-lived interest in Muggle sweing and design.

As a result, it was no longer a 'Granny nightie', but something she quite enjoyed wearing. Isabel had made the frightful ruffles on the sleeves disappear, instead creating two thick, lacy straps over the shoulders. Then she'd tailored the seams to skim Dawn's waistline and shortened the skirt until it was much slinkier, sliding just past her knees.

Even through her pain Dawn managed a small smile at the material reminder of Isabel. She pulled the nightie on and climbed right into bed, immediately reaching to turn her lamp off.

Within moments, she'd descended into a dream-plagued sleep.

_

* * *

_

_Dawn tossed and turned, and fought with her sheets, but could not get rid of the nightmares. What made them all the more frightening, though, was that deep in the recesses of her sunconscious, Dawn knew it was no nightmare: it was all real._

_Snippets of scenes and snatches of voices wormed through her mind, weaving together the sickening story of her Sunnydale family._

_The main bedroom of the Summers home. A tiny little red hole in Tara's chest, the honey-sweet witch stone cold on the ground. As Dawn watched, the body turned to stone and Willow whispered the secret venemously in her ear._

_"Warren."_

_"I don't understand."_

_A hospital room. A monitor beeping. The ever-assuring pulse of Buffy faltering... fading._

_"No," Dawn sobbed. "Not her. Not Buffy, too. You can't have her!" she screamed at the ceiling, wondering if there was a higher power even listening, even considering heeding her words._

_A moment later, everything flickered and Willow was there. Dawn looked closer. Black hair, darkened eyes, dead voice... Willow might be buried somewhere deep in there, but that really wasn't Willow._

_Dawn didn't have a chance to ponder it further though, as Willow used her magic to pull the bullet out of Buffy's body and heal her._

_The sudden changes of scenery were starting to make Dawn nauseous. She was in the woods, and Willow had finally caught up with Warren. She had him tied up in the vines and was toying with him, torturing him. Dawn could hear the footsteps and voices coming: Buffy, Xander, Anya and Spike, but she knew they wouldn't make it in time._

_That same dead voice was talking through Willow's mouth, deaf to Warren's whimpers._

_"Wanna know what a bullet feels like, Warren? A real one?"_

_"...one tiny piece of metal... destroys everything..."_

_Warrne's babbling was drowned out in Dawn's ears, the breaking of twigs and branches, the rustling of leaves as the four pursuers neared the clearing filling her awareness. The next thing she knew, Willow had murmured something, then flicked her wrist casually._

_Warrne's skin was torn from his body. Dawn dropped to the ground, retching._

_While she was still on her hands and knees in the dirt, she began to feel a rush of visions banking up in her head. Willow attacking the jail in an attempt to get to Warren's flunkies, Andrew and Jonathan. Between Buffy, Spike, Xander and Anya, though, they managed to safely get the two boys back to the Magic Box. Willow, in the meantime, had gone and taken a power boost from the dark magic dealer Rack. She was so full of negative energy that she was covered in blackened veins and the darkness within her would most likely rival Voldemort on an angry day. It made Dawn want to be sick again._

_She was focused on her breathing, trying to keep herself from losing it completely and barely registered that at some point the dirt beneath her had become slate, the woods had become the walls of the Magic Box. There were so many voices and so many different people that Dawn caught only bits and pieces._

_"The only thing I had going for me were the moments... just moments where Tara would look at me and I was wonderful. And that will never happen again."_

_"So, here we are."_

_"Are we really gonna do this?"_

_Dawn's vision was clearing, she lifted her head and watched Buffy and Willow trading blows. Out of the corner of her eye, though, she caught Spike and Xander herding Andrew and Jonathan out the back door. It didn't take long for Willow to knock Buffy down. She was standing over the Slayer gloating over her unrivalled power when she was blindsided by a spell._

_"I'd like to test that theory."_

_Dawn frowned. Giles?_

_She scrambled to her feet, but found herself standing at the edge of the cemetary. Four male figures were heading towards her, all squabbling. It might've been amusing if Dawn had the energy to think about it. Things couldn't possibly get any worse, and still Xander and Spike would only work together if they could argue the whole time._

_She caught sight of something in the sky and gulped. Did she just think things couldn't get any worse? Well, the giant fireball hurtling towards the group would probably blow that theory. But there was also a Slayer hurtling towards them at full speed. Buffy scattered the group with the fireball right on top of them._

_**KABOOM!**_

* * *

Dawn bolted upright.

There was sweat all over her, making her whole body feel slick and chilled, her hair was damp with it and her sheets were wound around her limbs like the vines Willow had used to detain Warren. There was darkness all around her, it had to be the middle of the night. But beyond that there was a sliver of sunlight, and it took Dawn a few minutes of confusion to figure out that she was still 'Seeing' Sunnydale.

The fireball had created a huge crator in the ground, Buffy and Spike had fallen into the cavern and were trying unsuccessfully to claw their way out. There was no sign of Xander, or Jonathan and... Dawn frowned... that other guy.

Dawn, not really knowing what she was doing, crawled out of bed and began to walk blindly through the dorm, the the Common Room, and into the halls. She could see everything around her, but was more interested in the hazy screen that had dropped over everything, showing her things nit right before her eyes.

The Magic Box had been all but demolished, Giles lay in the wreckage struggling to breathe. There was an ugly gash on his forehead and Anya was by his side, nervously insisting that he not die. On a clifftop overlooking Sunnydale, Willow was raising a demonic temple. One look told Dawn that could only lead to Apocalyptic badness. She could sense Xander's energy drawing nearer, but he was still a ways off.

The heavy double doors before Dawn moved with the gentlest of pushes, and a few seconds later Dawn was at the bottom of the stone steps with no recollection of having walked there. She could hear Willow's voice talking to Buffy, and gave a little shiver with the realisation that she wasn't just hearing Willow in her head anymore. Her voice was on the wind.

_"Always the Slayer. Right to the last. And it is the last, you know. For all your fighting, thinking you're saving the world. And in the end, I'm the only one that can save it._

_It's the only way to stop the pain. I can't take it anymore. But I know you Buffy, you're a warrior. You won't go out without a fight. I don't really have time for one... and I remember a time not so long ago when you thought you were done with the fighting yourself._

_C'mon, you forgot about that already? 'If Dawn dies, I'm done with it. I'm quitting.' Didn't last long, did you? But be honest, Buffy. You hate it here as much as I do, you're just going through the motions. All you really want to do is disappear to wherever that energy ball you keep deluding was your sister went. Well, it's your lucky day, Buffy. You and your little lap-vamp are going on a holiday. A really long one. Bon voyage." _

Buffy and Dawn's simultaneous screams were swallowed up in crackles of electric blue energy. By the time it was all over, Dawn had been thrown heavily back against the stone steps. She looked up, enormous blue orbs fixed on the two bodies heaped at the base of the stairs.

"Buffy..."

* * *

Buffy groaned and shoved Spike off her. He growled in response and the Slayer and the vampire pulled themselves to their feet.

"This ain't Kansas," Spike commented, taking in the lush grounds in the early pre-dawn greyness.

A dry sob from behind had both the blonds whipping about, instinctively on guard in the strange new place. The enormous castle they were suddenly faced with was awe-inspiring, but that wasn't what grabbed the immediate attention of both Buffy and Spike. It was the slim teenager standing on the steps in the slinky white nightie that captivated them.

"Dawnie? Is it really you?" Buffy whispered, her eyes already watering.

Dawn seemed to be in shock. "I'm really me if you're really you..."

They flew at each other then, fighting in a mess of limbs to wind their arms around each other and squeeze for all they were worth. The tears had brimmed over and were spilling down Buffy's cheeks, Dawn could feel them splashing onto her shoulder but still her own eyes were too dazed to leave room for tears.

"How did this happen? I never thought I'd see you again," Buffy said, pulling back to look Dawn over and then pulling her close once more.

Dawn gently disengaged herself from her sister so she could reply. She opened her mouth, but before she could begin forming words she was set upon by another blond. Leather, cigarette smoke, and that similar yet always unique scent of male came rushing back to her.

"Hey, Spike."

He let her go, mock-glaring. "That's it, Nibblet? 'Hey Spike'? That's all I get?"

She smirked.

"Where are we?" Buffy broke in, rubbing a hand down her sister's arm.

"Hogwarts," Dawn shrugged.

"Heavenly dimension, or bad place where I need to start kicking asses for anything that's happened to you here?"

Dawn smiled. "We're not dead, Buffy. This is a living dimension, they even have Alternate World Buffy and Alternate World Spike here. I even met Alternate you. It's a good place here."

"We must all try our best to make it so, mustn't we?"

Albus Dumbledore was standing in the doorway to the castle, looking down on the reunion with deep interest. Dawn thought she saw him sliding his wand back into his robes before taking a couple of steps forward. Spike and Buffy both shifted, feeling the power rolling off him in waves.

"It's a little early in the day to be entertaining guests, Miss Summers," Dumbledore commented. "Would you care to introduce us?"

"Of course, Professor Dumbledore. This is Buffy Summers, my sister, and this is... oh, erm..." Dawn trailed off, realising the implications of casually introducing William the Bloody to a WIzard of this world.

Spike arched his scarred eyebrow, not understandinf and clearly not liking the apparent slight. "Name's Spike, mate," he said boldly.

"William the Bloody?" Dumbledore asked, voice sharp and wand drawn.

"Yeah. What of it?"

Before Spike could say anything more, or Dumbledore could decapitate him with a neat little spell, Dawn pounced in between them.

"No! Professor, please. He's not like the Spike in the history books we have here. He's different. He wouldn't hurt anyone, I swear on Marauder's honour," she pleaded.

"He's reformed," Buffy said quietly, casting a guarded gaze in the direction of the vampire in question.

Dumbledore stared directly into Spike's eyes for several long seconds, but Spike didn't waver. Finally, the Headmaster nodded his assent, having seen enough to know both Miss Summers' faith in the vampire was not misplaced.

"Well now, I have not introduced myself. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of this fine establishment here, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Why don't we all go inside? Sunrise is not too far away, and I believe there is ample space on the third floor to settle the two of you for the time being," Dumbledore said and extended an arm, inviting the three to cross the threshold ahead of him.

Buffy raised and eyebrow. "Settle? We're settling here?"

Dawn shot her a quick, guaging look. She knew Dumbledore tended to rush things like this, but it usually boiled down to him not wasting time coming to the most logical solution for a problem.

"I am sorry, my dear," Dumbledore said amiably, not phased by Buffy's resistance in the least. "I assumed you would stay at the castle on the grounds that your sister is a student here. We can easily make alternative arrangements, if you like."

"No, no," Buffy said, rubbing her forehead. That did make sense. "It's just been a long day... days... Thinking is just a little bit much to handle right now and there's so much to worry about before I can think of settling-"

"Of course," the Headmaster said sagely. "But you may just find a clear head more effective in tackling your concerns. Please, take the day to rest. You can sleep, explore the castle, visit with Dawn while she is not in class. And after dinner, Dawn may bring you to my office where we can address your concerns together."

Buffy nodded in agreement and they went inside at last. Dumbledore led them to the third floor and stopped in front of the portrait of a little girl who curtsied prettily at them.

"Dude," Buffy said in awe.

"Hello, Marcella. This is Buffy and Spike, who will be staying here for a while. They'll give you a password," Dumbledore said, looking to the blonds in a silent invitation to choose a password.

"Dude," was all Buffy could say still.

Dawn and Spike snorted as Marcella locked in the password and the portrait swung open. Dumbledore left them, then, and the trio explored the makeshift quarters after first drawing the curtains to save Spike the trouble worrying over the rising sun. There was a small Common Room with a fire, a desk, and a few couches. The two bedrooms coming off each side of the Common Room had ensuites and stocked wardrobes. Buffy wrinkled her nose. Wasn't there anything to wear beyond white blouses and grey skirts? She was just a little old for the schoolgirl look. Spike was more vocal in his distaste for white shirts and grey trousers.

"What the bloody hell is all this poncy gear for?" he roared. "I'm not walking around in that!"

"Well you can't walk around naked," Dawn deadpanned. "You're too pale."

Both Buffy and Spike stopped and stared. Since when did little Dawnie make jokes that were... well, funny? Dawn was just smirking at them both.

"The House-Elves will have your other stuff washed in no time anyway. You won't have to suffer for too long."

Slightly appeased, Buffy and Spike showered quickly and reluctantly dressed in the provided clothing. Spike refused to part with his leather duster, though. They settled on one of the couches, Dawn in the middle, and talked and talked until they had caught up.

Dawn admitted that with her Seer tendencies she knew a lot of what had happened to the rest of the Scoobies. But the others were interested in hearing about Dawn's arrival at Hogwarts, her magical abilities, and her friends. Somewhere along the way, though, she decided it would be easiest not to mention a few things right away. Being kidnapped, Lucius Malfoy, the intimate details of her relationship with Sirius, fir example.

"This serious bloke?" Spike said, not willing to let it slide at all. "He alright to you, or am I soon to be ripping his throat out?"

Dawn giggled. "Sirius, Spike. As in the Dogstar. And he's a great guy, really he is. You'll love him, I swear."

Spike's eyes narrowed in a way that said he wasn't about to go liking any boyfriend of Dawn's purely on principle. Dawn sighed, thought about looking to Buffy for help, realised that an overprotective Slayer was no better than an overprotective vampire, and glanced at her watch instead.

"Oh crap! I'm so running late! Ok, do you guys want to hang here and sleep while I shower and get ready and I'll swing by to take you to breakfast?" she asked, jumping up.

"We'll go with you," Buffy said, also standing. "I want to see where you stay."

Dawn nodded and led the way to Gryffindor tower. Spike looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Nibblet, what did you mean by me not being like the history books here tell it?"

Dawn groaned. "Long story, Spike. I'll fill you in later, but suffice it to say almost every Wizarding Government in the world has a price on your head. A high one."

"Well that's just... neat."

They rounded a corner, heading into the hall with the Fat Lady, and came face to face with a group of students on their way to breakfast. There were a few moments of silent staring before one of the students standing in front of Dawn smirked.

"I just have three things to say. One: what are you doing walking around the school in your sexy nightie? Two: when did your sexy nightie actually get sexy, and why wasn't I informed? And three: good morning baby."

"Morning," Dawn smiled and let Sirius kiss her.

The sound of two throats being pointedly cleared broke up the greeting. Dawn grinned brightly at her friends and shrugged her shoulders a tiny bit.

"You'll never guess what happened."

James opened his mouth to try, but Dawn shot him her best 'don't you dare' look. He grinned and ran a hand through his hair instead.

"Guys, this is Buffy and Spike. And this is Sirius, James, and Remus, and that's Peter over there."

Almost out of shock, the Marauders all muttered quiet hellos. Buffy and Spike both replied in turn, but Buffy was staring at Remus curiously and Spike's attention was disconcertingly fixed on Sirius. Dawn grimaced as Spike's nostrils flared suddenly and knew that he'd just recognised Sirius' scent, and how deeply interwoven it must be with hers. Sirius didn't allow himself to waver under the attention, without breaking eye contact with Spike he casually took a hold of Dawn's hand to drive his unspoken point home. Spike was either about to growl or smirk, but to Dawn's relief a bossy voice interrupted the moment.

"What's the hold-up here?"

Lily was pushing her way through the Marauders, careful to keep as much distance between herself and James as possible. The Prefect stopped when she reached Dawn and realised she had guests.

"Oh. I'm sorry," she said sheepishly.

"It's ok," Dawn grinned. "Really. This is my sister Buffy, and this is Spike. This is Lily Evans, one of my other closest friends. We're in the same dorm."

Lily, being naturally polite in a much girlier way than the boys, managed a far more cordial first imperssion. She beamed a huge smile at Buffy the moment she'd been introduced.

"So you two get to be reunited after all? I didn't think that would ever happen, what with Dawn saying even Dumbledore couldn't track you down. We're all so used to thinking that if Dumbledore couldn't do something, it couldn't be done. But this is wonderful, I'm so pleased to meet you!"

Then the redhead turned to Spike and hesitated. "I'm sorry, Spike, is it? Have we met? You seem just a tad familiar..."

The way those pretty emerald eyes were so shrewedly studying him made Spike shift a little. He couldn't help but remember Dawn's vague warnings, and the way Dumbledore initially reacted to him.

"Er, no ma'am," he said, for some unknown reason adopting a thick, unconvincing American accent. "I'm just an old friend of Buffy's, here."

A few moments of uncomfortable silence ensued. Then Peter piped up, dashing Buffy's secret conclusion that the little fat one didn't have a voice at all.

"We're missing breakfast."

* * *

"Dawn, can you add the eye of Newt please? Dawn? Dawn...? Candice is giving Sirius a lap dance."

"What?"

Dawn finally looked up. Her head whipped around, but Candice was on the other side of the room collecting a dove's beak and Sirius was safely working on his potion with James. He noticed her attention and waved, Dawn smiled back and then looked over at Remus with an unamused experssion.

Remus, having added the eye of Newt himself and begun a five-minute block of stirring anti-clockwise, just held her gaze placidly. "Well I had to find something that would get your attention, seeing how the potion you're supposed to be helping me with just isn't doing it for you today."

"I'm sorry, Rem," Dawn groaned. "I'm just so tired, and..."

"Overwhelmed?" the werewolf suggested.

"What's the next step up from overwhelmed?"

"Er, really overwhelmed?"

"That's about a third of it then. I just can't believe there really here."

Remus shifted his eyes back to the timer, even though he knew his five minutes were nowhere near up. The way Dawn's sister had looked at him, it was like she could sense the darkness lurking within his surfaces. It frightened him.

"They seemed nice," he offered.

Dawn was picking absently at the skin near her thumbnail. "I hope you guys will get along," she mumbled as her thumb started to bleed.

"We will. We just all need a little time to digest everything that's gone on. Pour that fish oil in, will you?"

Dawn added the ingredient and with his partner's help at his disposal at last, Remus finished up the potion and capped a vial full of it. Dawn's slight distraction did not disappear though, it lingered with her all the way through Care of Magical creatures.

She neglected her notes, drew little stakes all over her parchment and spent more time staring out at the trees than faking an interest in the migration and mating habits of strange animals she'd never need to know about anyway. On the way back up to the castle for lunch, she almost trod squarely in a stray pile of manticore dung Hagrid was using for fretiliser; only Remus' lightning Vanishing Spell saved her shoes from certain death. Only in the Great Hall, seated next to Buffy and staring straight across Gryffindor table at Spike did she perk up again. Spike was basking in the simulated sunlight of the enchanted ceiling, the boys all felt a little stab of annoyance when Dawn started to laugh. She could barely spare two words for them all morning after putting them through all that worrying the night before, but give her thirty seconds with a vampire and an incredibly tiny woman and she's back to giggling?

"So have you freckled yet?"

"Not yet," Spike murmured, turning his face to Dawn to offer a wicked little grin. "I'm sure it won't take long though, Bit."

"You haven't been sitting here all morning have you just to find out?" Dawn asked, looking to Buffy for the answer.

"Nah," Buffy said, smiling at her sister but sparing a glare for Spike. "We got to hang out in the dungeons for a while too, joy of joys. I got to say, Dawnie, not that living in a castle isn't uber-cool and all, but the creature comforts in some areas sure are lacking."

"You just haven't seen the best parts of it yet," Sirius broke in, slapping lasagne onto his plate a little more forcefully than usual.

Dawn pounced on a platter of warm dinner rolls and offered them around. "Roll, anyone?"

Spike, who seemed to be itching for an opportunity to pick on Sirius, glared at the younger boy. "I don't know about that, _mate_. Dungeons seemed alright to me. Found chains and all manner of nasty things to play with. I bet nobody could hear you scream down there... Dark and dank,too, though not too dank like the Whelp's old basement back in Sunnyhell."

Both Dawn and Buffy snorted at the mention of Xander and Dawn deliberately blocked from her mind the memories Spike had unknowingly dredged up when he mentioned nobody being able to hear a person scream in the dungeons. One horrible day before Christmas, those screams had been hers.

She didn't realise she still had the platter of rolls resting in front of her and certainly hadn't noticed James' attempts at getting one without having to dig out his wand. Finally fed up with listening to his stomach growl, he reached around behind Sirius and tugged Dawn's braid.

"Ouch! What the-?" her head snapped around. "James!"

"Now that I finally have your attention, can I have a roll please?" James asked, smiling and holding his hand out expectantly.

Dawn pelted one at him. "Choke on it, butthole."

He caught it without even trying. Dawn vaguely wondered if he'd been a Seeker in a past life, then remembered Mom Potter once telling her that her Dad had been a Seeker when he was at Hogwarts. It wasn't long before she caught sight of the cheeky little grin on James' face though.

"Such language, Kitten. I think I should owl Dad and have him come Scourgify your mouth out for that one."

"Daddy would never believe you," Dawn shot back in her most petulant voice.

Buffy's eyes widened a fraction. She'd never heard Dawn take that tone of voice with anyone apart from her before, and she certainly hadn't said 'Daddy' since she was about seven.

"And while we're on the subject of owling Dad, what would happen if someone let slip who was really behind all those Worm Bile Surprises being sent anonymously to certain Pureblood fanatical families, hmm? Including the Blacks, I believe."

Sirius snorted. Buffy's eyebrow arched. Dawn had always followed up her self-defence with the threat of a counter-attack in all their sibling squabbles. Watching Dawn with James was like watching Dawn with herself... only Buffy wasn't included anymore.

James leaned back, coolly appraising his sister. "You wouldn't dare."

"Well, no," Dawn snorted. "We were all in on that criminal act together, Daddy and Mom Potter would kill us both if we were caught."

"What's with the 'Daddy'?" Buffy finally asked, her gut instinct disliking the easy banter between the pair. "It sounds like the two of you are sharing a set of parents or something."

"Well we are," James shrugged, his eyes locked openly on Buffy's so that he missed the slight tensing of Dawn's frame. "My parents are Dawn's guardians too now, she's my legal sister."

Furious for not having been more appropriately informed, Buffy turned straight to Dawn, who was trying her best to smile and act as though there was no awkwardness in the group. Sirius had begun to rub her leg under the table and she drew deeply from the comfort he offered.

"I was going to tell you. It's just been so weird having you here all of a sudden that I haven't had a chance to tell you everything yet. Really, it just hadn't come up yet,"

"Can't wait to find out what else just hasn't come up yet."

"I've got one right now," Spike said, mercifully ending the prolonged beat of silence. "How come nobody saw fit to tell me that there's a Spike-alike running round here with long hair and quite possibly a railroad spike shoved fair up his ass?"

When they'd stopped sniggering, the Marauders all twisted in their seats to follow Spike's line of vision. Sirius' grip on Dawn's leg was suddenly so tight he was going to leave marks.

"Lucius Malfoy," he spat.

"And we hate him because...?" Spike tried to prod.

Remus, who had remained silent and observant throughout lunch, saw the look of horror flash through Dawn's eyes as she contemplated telling the two people who meant to much to her that they were currently looking at her almost-rapist. Although he was still uncertain of Spike, and particularly of Buffy, he leapt right into the conversation for Dawn's benefit.

"Never mind that. Come on, you lot. Lunch is nearly over and if you don't eat a decent meal you'll never be able to get to sleep in History of Magic."

"I don't think that will be too much of a problem," Buffy commented, watching Peter polish off his second serving of lasagne and reach for thirds.

Everyone let out a short laugh at that, while Peter paused, then simply shrugged and smiled before he continued eating. After an afternoon of classes spent dozing or daydreaming through History of Magic, Dawn invited Spike and Buffy to hang out in Gryffindor's Common Room until dinner. It didn't take her long to start regretting the decision for the effect it was having on her nerves.

Lily of course was the very picture of politeness and hospitality to Buffy, even sacrificing an afternoon of good study time in order to get to know Dawn's older sister. But her attitude to Spike was a little more unsettling. The emerald eyes glittered with interest as she quizzed the vampire on anything that could cross her mind, her curiosity having been roused by overhearing his lunchtime reference to railroad spikes. Spike was having a hard time keeping the cracks from showing too obviously in his dodgy American accent, and finally Dawn took pity and distracted Lily with a book.

The rest of them, however, were straining to keep a level of civility in the conversation. After the revelation that they both laid claim to a sibling bond with Dawn, James and Buffy had begun some subtle sort of competition to see who knew Dawn best. Peter was right behind James, always on his side but too timid to even glare at Buffy; he'd heard too many of Dawn's stories of Slayer strenght to risk drawing the blond's attention.

Remus was sitting back a little from the group, eyeing the newcomers off almost warily. Dawn knew Buffy had sensed something supernatural about the young lycanthrope from the way her eyes had fixed on his when they'd been introduced and resloved to discreetly let Remus know it was ok, Dawn's tolerance of werewolves had come directly from Buffy's positive influence. But before she could worry about that, Dawn found herself faced with the more pressing possibility that Spike and Sirius would turn the Common Room into a macho war zone.

Like clockwork, every other minute Spike would drop a byline into the conversation about what he would do to any guy who put his filthy paws on his Lil' Bit, but Sirius refused to be intimidated. Even as the descriptions of torturous acts became increasingly detailed and bloody, the bland smile never left the young Animagus' face. At first Dawn had been grateful for Sirius' refusal to get drawn in to the game, but soon enough Sirius himself had begun to respond with pointed passive aggression.

"How thrilling," Sirius said drolly as Spike finished recounting exactly how long it took to snap every single bone in a teenage boy's body. "Tell me, Spike, have you ever considered getting yourself a girlfriend?"

Ice blue eyes glazed yellow, and only Dawn leaping from her seat (with some difficulty due to the arm Sirius had clamped about her waist) to get in between them and announce it was dinner time stopped Spike from breaking into a full vamp-face in the middle of the Common Room. Lily was staring intently at him though, Dawn's heart sank as she realised the smartest witch in her year had probably seen Spike's eyes change colour, and would figure out the 'mystery' in no time at all.

Dinner was a fairly quiet affair. Dumbledore introduced Spike and Buffy to the rest of the school simply as guests of Gryffindor and the left them all to it. A couple of the younger students were staring, but an intimidating glare or two from Buffy later, they were left alone. As soon as they'd eaten, Dawn moved to take Buffy and Spike up to Dumbledore's office but the Marauders had no intention of leaving her alone with them.

Dumbledore looked mildly amused to see the seven of them crowding into his office, but said nothing of it and calmly conjured extra chairs. He was almost tempted to raise a long, bushy eyebrow when Dawn claimed a single armchair for herself instead of opting for her usual place on the couch, next to Sirius. Or her sister. Or her psuedo-brother. Or her legal brother. Or her best friend. Well, the more Dumbledore thought about it, the more he understood Dawn's choice, he was just so accustomed to seeing Peter take the lone chair by now.

"Well then, if we're all comdortable, have you planned your next move yet Ms Summers?" Dumbledore asked, leaning back in his chair and steepling his long fingers. Both Dawn and Buffy were half-tempted to request that he say 'excellent' in an evil voice.

"We need to get back to Sunnydale," Buffy said at once. "Who knows what's happening there?"

"Er, I hate to interrupt you when you're just getting into your bossy voice, luv, but how do you know there's even a Sunnyhell to get back to?" Spike threw in lazily, as if he really didn't care one way or the other. "You heard what Darth Rosenberg was on about, do you really think the Whelp, the Watcher and Demon Girl have got the stones to stop her?"

Buffy shook her head in denial. "No. No she wouldn't end the world. She just... It's Willow. _Willow._ I won't believe it."

Remus sat up a little straighter and turned to Dawn. "Maybe we can find out. Dawn, did you See any further? Can you tell in any way what happened back there?"

Dawn was chewing her lip, her head tilted to the side in concentration as she searched her mind. "No... I don't think so. I can't remember Seeing anything after this morning, but it's strange. I just have this funny feeling in my tummy, you know, like it's going to be ok there."

Spike let out a semi-annoyed sigh. "Well that's two votes in the 'I just know' category. Must be something about you bloody Summers women."

"We still have to get back there. I'm sworn to protect my world," Buffy argued, the turned to Dumbledore. "This morning you said you'd help us with anything we needed. Can you help us get home?"

"I'm afraid I can't," Dumbledore said, looking at the little blond apologetically. "When Dawn first came here, myself, a handful of the more knowledgeable Professors and I have my reasons to believe event eh students in this office right now all seached for a way to return someone to your dimension. I'm sorry to say we exhausted all our avenues without finding any results."

Spike and Buffy exchanged uneasy glances. They were quite possibly stuck here? Neither wanted to think of the implications for both worlds. They spent a few moments mentally regrouping.

"You can't have... That can't be it. You just weren't looking in the right places, that's all," Buffy decided, though there was a hint of a tremor in her voice. "We'll figure it out one way or another, I mean, we all got here in the first place didn't we? We'll find a spell or whatever, and then the three of us can go home."

"Three?" Sirius repeated, his Animagus form clearly reflected in his voice and demeanour.

"Yeah, the three of us," Dawn followed up. "Dawn will come home now."

James was on his feet in a flash. "Hey, she's already home. Let's get that straight right this bleeding second."

"Enough!" Dumbledore called. There were too many people in the room just itching for an argument. The object of debate was sitting far more stiffly in her chair than he'd known was possible for anyone other than Minerva McGonagall, and Dumbledore took pity on the girl. All year long now, no sooner had she proven herself in one challenge than another would come to take it's place.

"All needs not be decided right away," he lectured softly. "Those decisions we make so hastily are often those we come to regret. Buffy and Spike, you are welcome to all research and resources at my disposal and may find sanctuary at Hogwarts for as long as you wish. If your search takes you further afield, I am more than willing to facilitate that. Your first concern before all else can be decided is to find out if it really is possible to travel back to your own dimnesion."

"And then?" Spike prodded after a few moments of tense, undercutting silence.

Dumbledore glanced at the vampire, but then his attention went exclusively to Dawn. "And then, I'm afraid, Dawn may be facing some very difficult decisions."

Dawn could feel all eyes on her, but did not dare return any of the gazes. How could she face them? How would she choose? Where would she go from here?

**

* * *

**

**A.N:** Hope that at least starts to make up for my absence! XX


	37. Free Fallin'

**Disclaimer:** Own nothing. All things Harry Potter belong to the delightful JK Rowling & all things Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel are owned by King Joss, including the poem used. Free Fallin' is by the Rolling Stones… I think. Guns N' Roses did a better version though (as usual) and anyway the point is I don't own the song.

**A.N:** Honest to God shocking with my updates lately, I know. I apologise, life has been so much in the way that I've just wanted to scream, quit my job, throw my phone in the bin, drop out of uni and shun my family. I have the next chapter and half of one after that written and all other chapters strongly planned, so it's just a matter of finding the elusive typey-time now.

ANNOUNCEMENT: There are five more chapters to come after this one, taking the total of 'real' chapters in this story to forty. The end is nigh, peoples! And it's been quite a ride…

I love you all, your support has been a lifeline lately XX00

"On with the show, this is it…"

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

**Free Fallin'**

"Surprise, baby."

"It's beautiful," Dawn murmured, looking at the new silver bracelet Sirius had just fastened about her wrist with appreciation. "Thank you. Um, what's the occasion?"

Grinning, Sirius tugged her close up against him. "The occasion is me showing you how much I love you."

"That's not fair, I wasn't warned about this occasion," Dawn mock-pouted. "I love you too, and now I have nothing to give you."

He brushed his lips against her ear before placing a soft, sensual kiss on her neck. "You have plenty to give me," he said under his breath, as if the two of them were sharing some great secret he didn't want the world to overhear.

Dawn felt her whole face and neck flushing. She and Sirius had been trying so hard not to let passion run away with them, but they both knew they were ultimately fighting a losing battle. And funnily enough, neither was really apprehensive about their impending defeat.

"Dawn! Will you come and give me a hand with this?"

She could feel Sirius' annoyance as he tensed up and pulled away, and couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed herself. If ever Buffy caught them in a moment of intimacy, she was sure to interrupt, usually to demand Dawn's help with some obscure text or another.

With Sirius trailing behind her like a faithful watchdog, Dawn made her way over to the table Buffy had claimed and looked at the books the Slayer had gathered.

"We read all of those months ago, Buffy," she sighed.

Buffy shrugged. "You might've missed something. Come on, you were always whining I never let you help out. We can spend some time together, you know, start to make up for the eight months I believed my kid sister was dead."

"I'm not a kid," Dawn grumbled, but she pulled out a chair and dropped into it anyway. Much to Buffy's chagrin, Sirius followed suit and no amount of her 'you're so not welcome in this bonding experience' glaring was making him move.

Barely five minutes later, out of the corner of her eye Dawn caught Sirius putting his book down and scribbling on a bit of parchment. Soon enough, the words were appearing on the leaf of parchment closest to her.

'_Don't tell me you're actually re-reading the books you already know are useless, Summers.'_

She smirked, and on the pretence of recording possible relevant information, began to reply.

'_Of course not, Padfoot, darling. This one just has pretty pictures of swirly portals to look at. Besides, it's not like Buffy was wrong about the whole time-spending thing, and there's only an hour until dinner.'_

_'Guess you're right, Kitten, dearest. In the interests of the time-spending thing, then, did you want to not go to dinner tomorrow night? We can have our date another time, you know, if it's easier for you.'_

_'You're standing me up? How dare you?'_ The look of over-exaggerated outrage on Dawn's face was so comical that Sirius had to bite his tongue.

_'I'd never stand you up, baby. I just figured it was important for you to spend time with your sister.'_

_'And it's important for me to spend time with my boyfriend. We made a date and I don't intend to break it, so you'd better have your butt down here at seven o'clock tomorrow night, or else. Got it, buster?'_

_'Yes ma'am. I'd hate for you to have to punish me. Or would I?'_

Dawn sputtered so loudly when she read Sirius' response that Buffy looked up sharply. She hastily turned her sputtering into coughing, Sirius simply shrugged at Buffy and thumped Dawn on the back a couple of times.

"You ok, Dawnie?" Buffy asked when Dawn, though red-faced, had regained some composure.

"Uh-huh. Went down the wrong way."

"What did?"

"The air," Dawn mumbled lamely.

"Right. Got to watch out for that."

Sirius chuckled and Buffy found herself tossing a half-smile in his direction. As much as she wanted to hate him, the only real fault Buffy could find with Dawn's boyfriend was that he was Dawn's boyfriend.

Dawn giggled as she noticed the look. "Fine. Pick on me then, see if I care."

Just then, the portrait swung open and two figures stumbled in, their loud laughter filling the whole Common Room.

"… So the whole dungeon is trashed, everyone's covered in Merlin only knows what, the Professor's going mental at us and there's Dawn and Bella _still_ trying to rip each other to shreds!" James crowed, tears of mirth rolling down his cheeks.

"Bloody hell. All that over one snarky comment?" Spike gasped with laughter, eternally grateful that oxygen was not a requirement for vampires. If he had to breathe in amongst all that laughing, he probably would have passed out three stories ago.

"I haven't even got to the best bit yet," James promised, as the pair joined Dawn, Sirius and Buffy's table without pausing in their conversation long enough to acknowledge anyone. "Bella's all like 'You think you can take me?' and Dawn's just, 'You're damn straight, bitch,' and she grabs Bella and starts slamming her into the ground like she's gone put her right through the floor. Took both me and Padfoot to haul her off, then Moony had to give us a hand holding her back."

"Bloody hell," Spike said again.

"James," Dawn groaned. Of course she was delighted that Spike and James had taken to each other so well, but she wished her brother wasn't so quick to dole out the tales of Dawn's most embarrassing moments, the Hogwarts chapter.

"Yeah, Kitten?" James grinned.

She gave him a pointed look. "We've been through this."

"Sorry. It's just, we ran into Bella the hag in the halls. She was being her usual pleasant self, so I couldn't resist reminding her of the worm bile incident and Spike wanted to know what that was all about," he explained. "There was no harm in it, Marauder's Honour."

"Ok," Dawn relented. "Just remember my shreds of dignity are numbered, I can't afford to lose all that many."

James looked affronted. "Would I ever embarrass you?"

Dawn arched an eyebrow. "Lingerie store."

"Oh yeah!" James immediately perked up, turned to Spike and opened his mouth to explain. One murderous look from Dawn later, he'd clamped right back up again. "Never mind."

Dawn nodded in satisfaction at that response. Buffy shook her head and started refocusing her attention on her book, the only person at the table still remotely interested in research. After a few moments of quiet, James glanced at Sirius, who was holding Dawn's hand but still trying his best to avoid Spike's attention.

"Where are Remus and Peter? I haven't seen them all afternoon."

"Upstairs," Sirius said. "Moony's tutoring Wormtail in Ancient Runes. Apparently Peter's having a bit of trouble putting his final assignment together."

"Well, I'll go round them up for dinner. Peter would be too crushed to think about any of this homework nonsense if he thought we'd gone down to a meal without him," James joked. He jogged away up the boys' staircase.

Dawn frowned at Sirius. "Rem is helping Peter with Ancient Runes?"

"Yeah."

"But Remus doesn't take Ancient Runes."

"Best not to think too much about it, baby."

Dawn giggled and laid her head against Sirius' shoulder. Spike growled and turned pointedly away from the display, only to find himself faced with the most challenging of Dawn's friends, holding a musty old book in her arms and smiling demurely at him. The way this girl stared at him, like she was analysing his every movement, was deeply off-putting, even if it was just a tad flattering.

"Hello, William," Lily said sweetly.

"Hey there, Lil' Red, what's happ… Half a mo'. Why'd you just call me William?"

Instantly, the sweet smile was gone, lost in a scarily relentless gaze. "Why did you answer?" Lily retorted. "You're William the Bloody, aren't you?"

"No! No, ma'am, I'm just an old friend of Buffy's here… Ah, bugger it. I'm your guy. How'd you figure me out, Lil' Red?" Spike asked, mercifully dropping his terrible accent at last.

"It wasn't that difficult. Your accent was fishy, for one thing," Lily pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "You barely eat when you come to meals in the Great Hall, you don't make any sound when you walk, you make casual references to railroad spikes, and you look just like your picture."

At that, Lily dropped the large tome she'd been holding onto the table and as soon as Spike had read the title, 'Vampyr', she was flipping carefully through the brittle leaves of parchment. She stopped mid-way through, and Spike was able to see a moving picture of himself labelled as one of the world's most dangerous vampires and the last remaining member of the Order of Aurelius.

A slow smile was curving itself onto Spike's lips. "So now you know I'm the Big Bad, luv. And you're not afraid of me, are you?"

He took a step closer. Lily swallowed and forced herself to hold her ground despite the newfound nerves fluttering in her stomach.

"N-no. Dawn said you weren't dangerous," she said, her voice strangely hoarse.

Spike took another step closer, his smile deepening into a wicked grin. He leaned close to whisper in Lily's ear.

"Dawn exaggerates."

Lily blushed deeply.

* * *

Dawn couldn't wipe the grin from her face as she descended the girls' stairs on Friday evening for her date with Sirius. She needed a night away from everyone, and there was no one she would rather share her solitude with. Buffy and Remus were holed up deep in Buffy and Spike's Common Room, having a long discussion about all the werewolves Buffy had come across and how they got on with their lives with their condition. James, Peter and Lily were all at the Library, and Spike had taken refuge in exploring the Forbidden Forest, one of the few places he'd learned Lily could not follow him into.

Sirius, as usual, was waiting for Dawn at the foot of the stairs, looking as handsome as ever in his dragon hide jacket. His eyes lit up in appreciation as he took in Dawn's tight fitting red singlet top and black skirt.

"Hello, gorgeous," he murmured and Dawn smiled.

"Right back at ya."

They went up to the seventh floor, where Sirius transformed the Room of Requirement to suit his vision. The door swung open before them and the couple found themselves in a restaurant designed just for two. There was a single waitress on standby, Dawn laughed in delight at the sight of Locky standing at attention with a napkin folded over her tiny House-Elf arm.

"Welcome, Mistress Dawn," Locky said, pulling Dawn's chair out for her. She nodded at Sirius. "Sir Padfoot."

When they were both seated, Locky pulled a couple of menus seemingly from thin air and opened them up for Dawn and Sirius. Dawn had to bite her lip- she just wanted to hug the little House-Elf for being so adorable.

"Something to drink?"

"Champagne, please, Locky," Sirius grinned. He looked at Dawn, who had an apprehensive look on her face. "Just one, I promise. After all, we're worth it."

"We are," Dawn agreed, smiling.

Locky expertly poured two long champagne flutes full of the bubbling liquid, took their orders, and promptly disappeared. Dawn assumed she'd popped back to the Kitchens for their meals. She let her eyes wander around the room in appreciation. It really was like their own little restaurant, down to the fish tank that ran the full length of one wall, the fire in the hearth, the guitar music heating the mood and the little dance floor.

Sirius picked up his glass, Dawn followed suit and they clinked them together in a silent toast. After taking the smallest sip of the alcohol, Dawn put hers back down. Sirius chuckled.

"It's ok. We can get pumpkin juice or butterbeer after this if you want."

"I just don't want a repeat of Dawn's adventures with the Firewhiskey," she said sheepishly. "Not tonight."

"Well, we've all learned that lesson the hard way in our lives. You weren't half as bad as me and James last summer," Sirius admitted. "I've never seen Mr P so close to blowing a fuse before, except when he was yelling at Fudge."

"Um, who is Fudge, and why was my Dad yelling at him?" Dawn frowned.

"Nobody told you?" Sirius asked, mildly surprised. "Fudge works at the Ministry of Magic. Bit of a pompous git if you ask me. When you got kidnapped, the Aurors were trying to start looking for you and he kept holding them up, worried more about public opinion than finding you safely. Mr P got really snappy at him."

"I never heard about that," Dawn said quietly. "I just got a hundred 'don't you ever do that again, you had us worried sick' lectures. As if I'd gone out and got kidnapped just for the fun of it."

"Naturally," Sirius joked, lightening the mood.

Locky returned with dinner, and all the while they ate they played teasing games with their eyes and their feet slid against each other's under the table. Dawn smiled, her toe sneaking a little ways up the leg of Sirius' pants.

"Dance with me."

Sirius stood and extended a hand to Dawn. They floated over to the dance floor, where Dawn pressed her body close to Sirius, allowing him to rock her back and forth to the beat. Their eyes closed, they let the music wash over them, guiding their movements until Sirius felt a timid tug at the hem of his jacket. He looked down into a set of pained tennis-ball eyes.

"Yes, Locky?"

"Sir Padfoot… Locky is dreadfully sorry, but Locky is supposed to be helping in the Laundry tonight. Locky is not wanting to be leaving Sir Padfoot and Mistress Dawn without anything, but Locky is also not wanting to be late," she babbled.

"That's fine Locky. You've done plenty for us tonight, we don't want to keep you from your work. You go, and thanks for all your help," Sirius assured her.

"You're amazing, Locky," Dawn chimed in.

With tears welling in her eyes, Locky shook her head. "Mistress Dawn and Sir Padfoot is both too good to Locky. Locky is so sorry to be leaving them that Locky is leaving ice-cream and pumpkin juice for them to be enjoying." The House-Elf pointed at the table, where two bowls of ice-cream and two pewter goblets were waiting, then disappeared for the final time that evening.

Sirius grinned. "What do you say?"

Dawn pretended to be thinking it over. "Um… I want some ice-cream."

They went back to the table to sit down for dessert. After a few mouthfuls, however, Sirius put his spoon down and stared hard at Dawn.

"Are we going too fast?"

"What's the matter, baby?" Dawn asked with concern. "Are you still full from dinner?"

"No," Sirius said, his hands flailing a little as he searched for the words to explain his feelings. "Us. I'm on fire just thinking about you, and I know you're the same with me. I can feel it when we touch. I can't figure out how the idea of the two of us could be _wrong_ anymore, so how are we supposed to know when it's right? How are we supposed to figure this out, Dawn?"

Dawn had kept her eyes downcast throughout Sirius' confused venting, but she finally raised them to look at him. Her face was impassive. "Well, I still think we'll just know instinctively when it's the right time. It'll be right when we can't _not_ be touching each other anymore."

They both fell silent and looked back into their bowls. Then, not two seconds later, they'd looked up and locked smouldering gazes. In a series of fluid movements, everything had been knocked from the surface of the table and Dawn had launched herself up onto the tabletop to get at Sirius. He met her half-way, their mouths moulding together as he pushed her down onto her back and began to tear at her clothes.

A jolt of pleasure hit the lower regions of Sirius' stomach when he realised Dawn was being just as rough and demanding as he was, his clothes had been discarded almost as quickly as hers had been. He'd never been so desperate for someone before, the little scream of pleasure Dawn let out as they came together was more intoxicating than an entire bottle of champagne could be but Sirius didn't pause to allow time for thought, his concentration was completely caught in the two bodies fusing and writhing together.

Even tumbling to the floor at some point didn't slow them down, Sirius barely even registered the difference until he and Dawn were both satisfied and his lust-hazed vision had begun to clear. He looked down at Dawn still laying beneath him, sweaty, messy and beautiful, and she smiled weakly. She pushed his hair back out of his face while she caught her breath.

"Wow…" she panted.

"Yeah," Sirius grunted.

"Well, now that all that mind-blowing lust is out of the way… Make love to me."

Sirius pressed a kiss to her lips, then moved down. He started at her feet and kissed his way back up Dawn's body, determined to make love to her like they'd never made it before. He moved slowly, touching her gently and pausing in his tracks often to accommodate her movements while she touched him. Dawn surrendered herself to the long-missed feelings swelling within her and vaguely thought she didn't care if the world ended tomorrow. As long as she had tonight, she was happy. It was several hours later before they fell asleep together.

Sirius shifted comfortably on the soft rug that had spring up beneath the pair of them at some point during the night. It was still dark when he slightly cracked open his eyes and Dawn was half draped across him, her arm wrapped around his waist and her head pillowed against his shoulder. The tablecloth had been tucked in around their lower halves as makeshift bedding in their exhaustion.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius noticed something move in the shadows. He tense, and, hoping the intruder hadn't realised he was awake, began to reach for his wand as discreetly as possible.

"Wand not going to help you out of this one, mate," said a rich voice, deepened with a hint of a growl. "Caught you red handed."

"Spike," Sirius hissed as the vampire melted into view.

"Didn't I tell you what I'd do to any bastard who dared put his grubby hands on my Nibblet?" Spike asked before taking a final drag of his cigarette and grinding it out on the floor.

"Get out of here," Sirius said, keeping his voice low. He really didn't want Dawn to wake up in the middle of this. "What my girlfriend and I do together has got nothing to do with you, you hear me?"

Spike's face morphed, his forehead becoming horribly wrinkled over feral yellow eyes, fangs growing until they were protruding from his mouth. "Get your sodding pants on and keep them on. Then get out of my way, I want Dawn dressed and I'm getting her out of here and if I ever catch you like this again, you'll find out exactly what I did to earn my name."

"I don't give a damn what you say," Sirius snapped, his voice heating a little. He was about to continue when he felt Dawn shift against him and sigh slightly.

"What time is it?" she murmured, eyes closed.

Sirius shot a warning glare at Spike and brought a hand up to brush Dawn's hair back, conveniently hiding the third in the room from view should Dawn decide to open her eyes.

"It's very late, baby. Go back to sleep," he whispered.

"Will you still love me when I'm old and tired, and fat from having too many kids?" Dawn wondered aloud, somewhere in between the conscious world and a dream.

"Yes, and I'll still think you're beautiful, too," Sirius said.

He kissed the top of her head, for a moment having completely forgotten that he had an audience. One with whom he'd been arguing only moments before. "Sleep now."

"Love you," Dawn mumbled, and seconds later her breathing had deepened and evened out.

When Sirius remembered Spike was there and looked back at the vampire, ready to argue again if necessary, he was surprised to find he'd returned to his human visage. His blue eyes had been softened considerably by the exchange he'd just witnessed as they fixed on Dawn's sleeping face. Slowly, he shifted his gaze back to Sirius, nodded slightly, and then left them alone.

* * *

Remus fell into step beside Dawn as she headed towards the Great Hall for a late lunch on Saturday afternoon. He couldn't help but smirk at the little bounce in her step, and the way she was humming absently to herself.

"You know, Dawn, if you wanted a night off from studying you could've just said so. No need to distract me with some big discussion with your sister while you sneak out," he commented casually.

Dawn snorted and squeezed his arm. "If I needed anyone distracted last night, it was Buffy. It's hard to explain to a hit first and ask questions later Slayer that her baby sister isn't such a baby anymore."

"Or that someone else is calling her baby," Remus countered.

"Yeah. I just thought it would be good if you and Buffy could talk, you know, clear the air. And it worked, didn't it? I bet you're way more comfortable around her now, not looking at her as if she might drive a silver stake through your heart any second," Dawn gloated.

"Good point. Thanks, Kitten. And of course the fact that everybody was nicely out of the way while you and Sirius went on a date that I know he at least didn't return from until after breakfast this morning was just a pleasant side effect."

"Hey, I'm a Marauder too, you know."

"That you most certainly are."

Chuckling, the two friends descended a staircase to one of the lower landings. They heard an impatient voice growing louder with each passing moment and frowned as they happened upon the scene. Peter was staring, dumbstruck, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water at a young blond woman who was waving a bag full of fresh shrimp around as she ranted.

"Freakin' backwards dimension, give me wrong directions! D'Hoffryn is going to kill me if I miss any summonses while I'm here…"

Remus looked between Peter and the possibly unstable woman with concern, but Dawn looked highly amused. Her eyebrows had risen in two sharp arches and her lips were pressed tightly together, barely containing a storm of giggles.

"Honestly, I pick up some shrimp from the crappiest world ever of nothing but shrimp since I get stuck in a teleporting jam there anyway, then it takes two damn hours to get through customs in my shortcut through the world without shrimp, and now I'm in God knows what world and I can't find out because the only person here is a friggin mute!"

At this point, the woman began to shake Peter furiously out of sheer frustration.

"Whoa!" Remus said, leaping forwards and pulling Peter back out of her clutches. The woman stopped and stared, seemingly pleased to find someone who was not apparently mute at last, but Dawn drew her attention from the boys with a pointed cough.

"Are you done?"

"Dawn…?"

Dawn smiled and waved. "Hi Anya."

Anya looked back at Dawn, a huge smile lighting up her face. "This is one of those times where squealing and hugging are appropriate, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh yay. Hold these," she ordered, shoving her bag of shrimp into a beyond flustered Peter's hands.

A moment later, she and Dawn were both squealing loudly, hugging, and jumping up and down. Remus looked at Peter and shrugged. Peter absent-mindedly pulled a shrimp from the bag and began to peel it.

"You've grown all up," Anya chattered happily. "And here we all just figured you were dead, and we were all sad for a while. But then we got over it, and if we had known you were on another living plane I so would've visited you the second I got my Vengeance Demon powers back. Say, don't you just wish Xander's penis would shrivel up and disappear?"

"Uh… I haven't introduced you to my friends!" Dawn said, practically yelling in a vain attempt to erase the last mental image Anya had just conjured. "This is Remus, he's my best friend, and that's Peter. He's not mute, you probably just startled him if you teleported in right on top of him."

"Hi, Anya," Remus smiled while Peter, his mouth full of shrimp, went a little pink and waved.

Anya smiled back. "Ok, you can have those shrimp but only because I scared you by teleporting like that. I don't even really like them, and you look like you like all food."

"Thanks," Peter said, smiling at last and reaching into the bag again.

They continued on to the Great Hall as an expanded group, this time searching for Buffy and Spike as well as a meal. On the way Anya was filling Dawn in on all that had occurred in Sunnydale since Willow had send Buffy and Spike on their interdimensional voyage.

"Well Xander talked Willow out of ending the world, but by then the Magic Box had been completely ruined. And I've got to wait three months –three months!- for the insurance claim to go through. How am I supposed to make money now? Vengeance Demon isn't a well-paying gig, you know. D'Hoffryn wouldn't even give me benefits when I came back. Cheap bastard," she muttered.

"Anya!" Dawn interrupted. "What happened to Willow?"

Anya gave her a look that suggested Willow's almost ending the world was nowhere near as important as her financial status and huffed. "Giles took her to England to fast-track her recovery, he wants her to be able to control her magic enough to bring Buffy and maybe Spike back. Better her than me, stuck in amongst all those British weirdos living on their blood sausage and their pea soup. What the hell is blood sausage, anyway?"

Remus and Peter stopped dead in their tracks, staring at Anya with a mix of offence and disbelief. Dawn just waved a hand at them to indicate there was no use being offended. Anya was just Anya.

"Uh, Ahn? You're in Britain, sweetie. Land of the weirdos."

"Hey!" Remus protested.

Dawn hugged him. "I don't mean it in a bad way, Rem, honest. It's just Sunnydale-speak."

"And we're the weirdos?" Remus grumbled to Peter, though he grinned and squeezed Dawn back affectionately.

Anya raised her eyebrows. "You two aren't having sex, are you?"

Peter choked on a shrimp. Remus turned beet red.

"No," Dawn replied, as if it was a perfectly normal questions for one of her sister's circle of friends whom she hadn't seen for months to ask. "I'm not having sex with Remus."

"Well, good," Anya said decisively. "You're too little for sex."

"Am not!" Dawn burst out before she could stop herself. Remus shot her a 'now you've done it' look.

"What?" Anya screeched. "You're having sex? But you're just a kid. Who is this guy? Haven't I taught you anything of the evilness of males? Or has overexposure to lesbianism at such a young age turned you into one of them? Because that didn't end too well for Willow and Tara- Tara got dead and Willow got evil. And I miss Tara and her little smile, and the way she'd change the subject to get away from the fact that everyone thought I'd just said something wrong and nobody wanted to tell me."

Dawn huffed, half exasperated, half stung by the mention of Tara. Every time she thought of the Wicca she tended to feel a pain in her chest that had nothing to do with the bullet she'd felt Tara take. She'd almost forgotten how hard it was to have a humiliation-free conversation with Anya, but Remus was starting to smile and Peter seemed to be in awe of her.

"No, Anya, I am not a lesbian," she promised.

Anya shrugged. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. Orgasms are orgasms. But if this guy hurts you, you know I can make his bowels explode don't you? Speaking of, don't you just wish Xander's bowels would explode?"

"No I don't," Dawn said softly. "We're here."

They walked into the Great Hall and spotted Spike and Buffy at the Gryffindor table, sitting with the fifth years whether they particularly liked them or not. Buffy raised her eyebrows in mild surprise as Anya dropped into the seat next to her and reached for a chicken leg.

"Didn't expect to see you here," the Slayer commented.

"I always said I knew way more about alternate realities than Giles," Anya replied around a mouthful of food. "All that teleporting has made me starving."

The Marauders and Lily exchanged a look. The way these people so casually adapted to interdimensional pop-ins was a little disconcerting.

"So, just dropping in to say hi?" Buffy said wryly.

"Yes. That, and I've got a message for you; Stay put," Anya recited, as if she was reading from a cue card planted in her mind. "Willow and Giles know where you are, and they're working on getting Willow to gain enough control over her magic to bring you back. Shouldn't be long now, only a week or so."

"Finally," Buffy breathed.

"A week?" The knife Dawn had been using to butter her roll dropped onto her plate with a dead clank. Sirius, Buffy, James, Spike, Remus, Lily and Peter were all staring hard at her, trying to read her wide blue eyes for clues.

Anya didn't seem to notice the tension in the air. "Yeah, a week. So nobody get too comfortable, ok? Anyway, I've got to get back before D'Hoffryn figures out I'm using my powers to take a little vacation on the job, but I'll be back when I can. I suppose I'll say hi to everyone back home for you. Bye!"

Before anyone could register the fact that Anya had stopped speaking, she'd teleported away, like a cyclone leaving chaos in her wake.

"So now you've met Anya too," Dawn said in a would-be casual voice, though her fingers betrayed her by nervously fiddling with the bracelet Sirius had given her.

Buffy forced a bright smile for her sister. "You know, you've got a lot of stuff in your dorm, Dawnie," she said gently. "Maybe you should think about beginning to pack soon."

"Not that I'm advocating studying or anything that crazy," James interrupted loudly, "but with OWLs only three weeks away, I think you've got more important things to worry about, Kitten."

Sirius, meanwhile, had looped a possessive arm about Dawn's waist as if he physically was not going to let her go. Remus opened his mouth to intervene, but to his surprise it was Spike who called for the cease-fire.

"Leave it, already," he said evenly. "It's the Bit's decision."

Dawn shot him a look full of surprised gratitude, but Buffy and James were both glaring stonily at him. The look on Buffy's face suggested that as Dawn's older sister, any decision about it should be hers, while the gleam in James' eye demanded to know why there was even a decision to be made at all.

* * *

"So what's this, then?" Spike asked, gesturing to the large X magically carved into the stone wall midway between the Great Hall and the Potions dungeon.

James snorted. "That's where me and Padfoot marked the spot to commemorate the day Dawn walloped Snivellus for not keeping his greasy mouth shut."

"Got more of her sister in her than she realises, that one."

"I don't bloody think so," James grumbled, really not wanting to consider the possibility of any similarities between the girl he loved so much as part of his family, and the woman determined to take her away.

"That's because you can't see anything of Buffy beyond the fact that she wants to separate you from your sister," Spike replied, all-too aware of the real feelings colouring James' view of the situation.

James scowled. "Whatever."

"So what's going on between you and Lil' Red then?" Spike asked, changing the subject but not striking one any more suited to James' tastes. "A bloke would have to be blind and stupid to miss the tension between the two of you."

"She hates me," James groused, scuffling his feet against the stones. "Thinks I'm nothing but an arrogant prat and nothing I can say will change her mind about me."

"Have you tried a box of chocolates? Flowers?" Spike suggested as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

James looked up at him in exasperation. "You're about as helpful as my mother with this stuff, mate. This is Lily Evans we're talking about here. She's far too smart to accept anything from a Marauder, she even double checks anything Dawn hands her. She'd never take anything from me, anyway."

The vampire rolled his eyes as if discussing a case of puppy love was a waste of his talents. "So write her a love letter you dolt. Poetry usually works."

"How the bloody hell am I supposed to be able to write a damn poem?"

"Bloody hell, just use this then;

_My soul is wrapped in harsh repose,_

_Midnight descends in raven-coloured clothes,_

_But soft… behold! A sunlight beam_

_Cutting a swath of glimmering gleam._

_My heart expands, 'tis grown a bulge in it_

_Inspired by your beauty… effulgent._

James stared in awe. How could one of the most depraved beings of all time have it in him to come up with something so… Something like that?

"How long did you work on that for?"

"At least a century, give or take," Spike smirked. "Trust me, mate, if that doesn't get you anywhere with the girl then you've got no hope."

"Well, did it work for you?"

"Er…"

Spike faltered and James frowned. Someone swept by him then, knocking pointedly into his shoulder as he went. James turned to hex the ignorant person, but stopped short, his scowl deepening as he recognised the receding figure.

"Bastard," he muttered coldly. "You'll keep."

Spike frowned. "Isn't that that Malfoy git you all hate so much?"

"Yeah," James growled.

"He's bad news, that one. Can smell the evil on him from a mile off, and it's more than the vibe of 'arrogant little tosser'," Spike said slowly, his eyes lingering on the corridor Malfoy had just disappeared down.

"You don't have to tell me. I bet he's a Death Eater already, Dumbledore would've expelled him when he had the chance. If it wasn't for what Sirius and I did, and if he wasn't a Malfoy, I reckon he probably would've been kicked out," James vented, in his anger forgetting his promise to Dawn not to divulge any more of her secrets.

Spike's eyes glittered with an almost morbid sort of interest. "What happened?"

"He almost raped Dawn."

"WHAT?"

James almost jumped out of his skin. He suddenly understood why Spike would be so menacing when he was evil. He was looking incredibly menacing now, even without being evil. He stared up into Spike's yellowed eyes, and all of a sudden Dawn's face popped into his mind. James felt sick to his stomach when he realised what he'd done.

"Nothing," he said, sounding more like Peter than himself.

In a heartbeat, he'd been lifted off his feet and pinned to the X on the wall. Spike was right in his face, all James could see was fangs.

"Tell me or I'll make you tell me," the vampire snarled.

James closed his eyes and tried not to think what Dawn would do if she found out. He didn't know if he should be more afraid of Spike's wrath or hers.

"Today," Spike snapped.

"It was months ago," James whispered. "Malfoy snatched her one afternoon when she went to the Library by herself. But Peter saw, told me and Sirius and Remus and we came after her. The sick bastard had her chained to the wall, he was hurting her but we stopped him before he could-" James' voice choked up, but he heard Spike growling still and forced himself to continue.

"Me and Padfoot beat him half to death, McGonagall said we were unlucky not to cause permanent damage but when we made Dawn tell the Professors about it all, Malfoy's Dad came storming up to the school. He tried to tell Dumbledore that Dawn had made the whole thing up to give me and Sirius an excuse to attack Malfoy and the three of us should be expelled. You've got no idea how powerful that family is, he probably could've gone to the Ministry and eventually got it done if he really wanted. But Dumbledore managed to tip me off about what was going on, so I got my Dad to come up to look after Dawn," James finished dully.

"So that's why she's got the whole 'Daddy' thing going on with him," Spike realised, allowing James' feet to find the floor again at last. "He takes care of her. Summers women all like that deep down."

"Dawn's been as good as a Potter since the day Mum and Dad set eyes on her," James swore. "We all love her like one of our own."

"Hmm," Spike said, although he was looking off in the direction Malfoy had gone again and there was a new, vengeful gleam in his eye. "I've got something to take care of."

With a sweep of his leather duster, he'd left James far behind, his senses on high alert. His nostrils flared, constantly honing in on one particular scent. It took him a while to find it, but Spike didn't mind the delay. The anticipation reminded him of the hunt, it only whetted his appetite for torture.

He finally caught up with Malfoy in a quiet corner not too far from the Library. He'd backed a blond girl who looked just as prissy as he did up against the wall and was leaning seductively close to talk to her. There was nobody else anywhere near the scene. Spike grinned. Perfect.

Moving soundlessly, he popped up behind Malfoy so quickly that the girl gasped in shock, though she recovered remarkably quickly.

"Do you mind?" she said haughtily.

Malfoy turned to stare at Spike, stepping to the side of Narcissa as he did so. Taking advantage of the increased view, Spike ignored Malfoy and let his gaze slide up and down Narcissa's body. She tensed ever so slightly and he smirked.

"I wouldn't mind at all, luv. But some other time, ay? I've got business with your boyfriend here, and if you know what's good for you you'll run along like a good little chit."

Narcissa glanced at Lucius for guidance, and when he inclined his head slightly she spun on her heel and swept regally away without another word. Spike took several long seconds to stare at Malfoy with unreadable eyes, counting the beats until he'd psyched the seventh-year out. He arched an eyebrow when Malfoy tried to swallow discreetly.

"Do I know you?" the Slytherin finally asked in a cold voice, looking down his nose at Spike.

"No. But after today you'll remember me every day for the rest of your pathetic, predictable life," Spike said, keeping his voice so controlled it could only be intimidating.

He began to stalk forwards, leaving Malfoy with no option but to retreat until his back was against the wall. He reached for his wand, but Spike batted his hand away.

"Try anything and you're a dead man. Got it? GOT IT?" he pressed, enjoying the rush of power as he forced Malfoy to nod.

Spike smiled suddenly. "You're not used to it being this way, are you? You've never found yourself with your back against the wall, at the mercy of someone who doesn't understand the meaning of the word. Well, now it's your turn to face that fear, Lucius."

"Fear?" Malfoy sneered, as if the feeling was too far beneath him for him to even consider. "Fool, I am a Malfoy. I fear nothing, and certainly not the likes of you."

"That right, mate?" With movements too quick for the human eye to see, Spike had morphed, seized Malfoy's wrists to stop him reaching for his wand again, and forced him onto his knees.

"How 'bout now?"

Malfoy remained silent. Spike held his wrists back against the wall, the pressure not enough to hurt but still strong enough to let him know Spike could snap bones as easily as toothpicks. Malfoy ground his teeth together.

"Come on, Lucius," Spike taunted. "You've got to be tougher than that if you want to get away with chaining little girls to walls and doing all manner of nasty things to them. Or soon enough you'll find someone doing all manner of nasty things to you."

Malfoy's hold on stoicism slipped for a moment, just long enough to allow a look of revulsion to cross his face. Spike himself recoiled a little in response as he realised what the Slytherin was thinking.

"Oh please, like I'd shag the likes of you anyway. And I don't fancy having to remove the railroad spike already lodged up there anyway. No… I think it'd be more satisfying to tear you apart, piece by piece."

"You couldn't," Malfoy sneered, glaring up at Spike with as much dignity as he could spare.

"Yeah, I could," Spike whispered, his voice so soft and certain that there was no option but to believe it. "The appendages would come off first, one at a time. Slow enough for you to feel every second of the knife sawing through your bones. I'd make you watch it, too. And you want to know the best part, Lucius? I could keep you alive for months, in constant pain and bleeding just enough to have me a little snack whenever I felt a bit peckish."

"You think they would just let that happen? I have more powerful allies than you could conceive of. The Dark Lord would bring unspeakable pain on those who would dare oppose him or his followers," Malfoy retorted, his voice waspish although Spike could smell the fear he was trying to hide.

"The Dark Lord?" Spike laughed. "Bloody hell, is that all you've got? The last time I heard of some tosser calling himself a dark lord he was a giant eye with a tacky ring, and he got destroyed by a three foot six closet homosexual and his gardener. I guess that just don't intimidate me the way it should."

Malfoy glared at Spike for having the audacity to mock Lord Voldemort, and Spike growled. He hoisted Malfoy to his feet, tightening a hand about his throat and squeezing until the younger blond's face was bright red.

"You know why I'm here, and I bet you've already been threatened with all sorts of things if you ever hurt her again, haven't you? HAVEN'T YOU?"

Malfoy hastily nodded as much as Spike's grip would allow. Spike bared his fangs for effect. He moved his hand from Malfoy's throat, grabbing the front of his robes with both hands. "Well, I'm a little more proactive than that, Luci. I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do if you ever hurt her again, I'm just going to make sure you never get the chance."

With that, Spike let out a ferocious roar and went for the jugular. Before his teeth could make contact though, a strong stench reached his nostrils and he pulled back in horror. He looked down at the wet stain spreading quickly through the front of Malfoy's pants and shifted back into human features, his face twisting in disgust. Spike tossed Malfoy away from him quickly, waiting until the humiliated Slytherin had scrambled to his feet before speaking again.

"Don't ever forget this day, Lucius."

Malfoy stormed away without a word. As he passed the Library, the doors swung open and Dawn stepped out, book bag slung over her shoulder and her long hair anchored high on her head with a spare quill. She stared in surprise at the sight of Malfoy so flustered, a little smile spread over her face when she noticed his wet patch. She watched as he disappeared as quickly as possible without breaking into a run, then turned the other way. Her smile faltered into sheer puzzlement as she joined Spike, who had been watching Malfoy flee with vindictive pleasure.

"Spike?"

Spike finally turned to Dawn, giving her one of his rare, but genuine gentle looks. "He won't ever come near you again, Nibblet."

Dawn's blood seemed to slow to a crawl in her veins. "What?"

"He'll leave you alone, won't try to hurt you again," Spike repeated.

Humiliation flooded Dawn's face. How had he…? Then it hit her.

"James," she hissed.

* * *

"He's staring at you again."

Lily sighed. "I know, Buffy. I can feel it. Just ignore it, ok, don't encourage him."

Buffy shrugged and let it drop. Dawn's friends were a little odd in their dynamics, but she supposed the Scoobies weren't exactly normal, either. The strangest part of it to Buffy, though, was the idea of Dawn having so many friends to begin with. She'd never been like that in Sunnydale. There Dawn had been quieter around people her own age, more introverted and…

'Lonely,' a voice in the back of the Slayer's head whispered, but Buffy ignored it. She brought a smile back to her face and continued to tell Lily about her days as a cheerleader before she was Called.

As Buffy relived the days of her blissful ignorance about the world, Lily let her eyes wander over to where the four male Marauders were hanging out by the window. Sure enough, a pair of hazel eyes were laying in wait to trap her own. Lily found herself holding James' gaze for a few heartbeats and as soon as she realised it, she looked away and didn't allow her eyes to wander again.

James reluctantly turned his attention back to his friends. Peter was hurriedly scribbling out some study notes, while Remus and Sirius were joking and laughing, but James didn't feel like joining in. Guilt was eating away at his insides as he thought about what he'd accidentally done to Dawn. He knew he would have to tell her, would have to somehow find a little of that Gryffindor bravery by the time she returned from the Library.

"You've got that formula backwards, Pete," he muttered absently.

Something whizzed past him, almost knocking his glasses from his face and before anyone could react, something that looked suspiciously like a full book bag went smashing through the window and plummeted out of sight.

The entire Common Room stopped. Within moments, everyone had looked from the broken window to the quivering form of Dawn Summers, standing in the middle of the room with tears leaking down her cheeks. Her eyes, bright with hurt and anger, were locked unforgivingly on the hazel depths of James Potter.

"You bastard!" she shrieked.

Spike vaulted through the portrait opening, but when he looked up he realised he was too late to avert the meltdown. Lily and Remus leapt to their feet, instantly in Prefect mode.

"All students up to your dorms now," Remus hollered.

One of the third year boys smirked. "And miss all this? Are you kidding?"

"Right, that's one for detention," Lily snapped. "How many more?"

Grumbling, the students all made their way upstairs. Dawn didn't even seem to notice as Lily and Remus cast quick Silencing Charms over the staircase entrances for privacy. In contrast to the blue of her eyes, her whole face had flushed a deep pink and her hair was beginning to fall out of its anchoring in messy strands.

"Dawn," James murmured, taking a few steps towards her. "Kitten, let me explain."

"Explain?" Dawn exploded. "How could you? And after I specifically asked you to keep your fat, stupid mouth shut! That was _my_ private experience to decide if I wanted to share, who are you to just go telling whoever you want like it's the best bit of gossip you've ever come across, huh?"

"It wasn't like that," James said quickly, his eyes pleading with Dawn to calm down. "Please, Dawn."

"What's going on?" Buffy asked, her arms folded across her chest and 'I mean business' written all over her.

"Why don't you ask James?" Dawn suggested bitterly. "I'm sure he's just dying for the chance to tell someone else."

Sirius frowned. He wanted to put his arms around Dawn, but he knew better than to try and hold her while she was this upset. She needed to feel free to get it out of her system. Instead he looked expectantly at James, waiting for answers.

James' head was hung in shame. "I told Spike… About the Malfoy thing."

Remus and Sirius exchanged grimaces. Lily gasped in horror and looked at James with pure disgust. Peter chewed his lip, trying to understand.

"What Malfoy thing?"

Dawn gave him a pointed look.

"Oh."

"What is this about?" Buffy broke in angrily, hating to see her sister cry even if it did give her one up over James.

Spike shook his head. "You don't want to know, Slayer."

"The hell I don't! That's my kid sister crying, you know."

"Is it really important right now?" Spike asked, soft and pointedly, before turning to speak to Dawn. "Don't be angry with him, pet. I forced it out of him. Didn't give him much choice but to tell."

"Oh yeah? And how did you know there was anything to tell in the first place?" Dawn whipped back.

"I was angry," James burst out. "I really didn't mean to, Dawn. It was an accident!"

"An accident? Oh, that makes it ok then, does it? it was just accidental humiliation. How could you violate me like that, James?" she asked as the tears threatened to engulf her.

James' face twitched convulsively. His eyes were starting to get wet, too. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Dawn saw red. Her fist flew out, her knuckles colliding with his nose. She felt something snap underneath her fingers, and when her hand dropped there was red flooding from her brother's nostrils. The pain was excruciating, but James didn't even allow himself the luxury of flinching.

"How am I supposed to ever be able to forgive you?" Dawn hissed.

Peter squeaked at the sight of James' blood. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and started dabbing at James' face. Sirius and Buffy both stepped close to Dawn to try and take one of Dawn's hands each, but Dawn jerked herself back out of reach.

"No! Don't touch me!" she yelled at them. "I've had enough. You guys are killing me. Why don't you just rip me in two and be done with it?"

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked in a guarded voice.

"This," Dawn choked, waving a hand around at all of them. "I can't win no matter what I do here. You all keep looking at me like I owe it to you to decide what you want me to decide."

Dawn's voice had dropped, but it was no closer to being calm and the tears were dripping from her face incessantly. She looked at Peter, who immediately lowered his gaze.

"Sometimes I think you can't wait to get rid of me. You keep looking at me like you want to offer to run upstairs and start packing for me."

She looked between Sirius and James, feeling her heart clench painfully inside her chest. "The two of you just want to tie me down so I physically can't leave, and…" she trailed off, her eyes fixing on the bracelet fastened around her wrist. Realisation flooded her eyes and, her fingers trembling, she took it off and handed it back to Sirius.

"If this is just a bribe to get me to stay with you, I can't accept it," she whispered.

Sirius shook his head. "Dawn, no. I would never… It's a gift, I never expected anything in return."

"Give it back to me when I can trust that," Dawn replied before turning to Buffy. "You're acting like when the time comes, you'll just throw me over your shoulder and put me through the nearest portal whether I want to go or not. You can't make that choice for me. None of you can," she said, raising her voice and looking around at all of them.

"It's my choice, get it? _My_ choice. And the funny thing is, you're all so determined to keep me away from the others that you don't even care what I think. Not one of you, not even once, have bothered asking me what I want. You don't even care about what I want, do you? It's just all about what you want."

There were tears starting to well in Buffy's eyes as she began to process exactly how much pain the whole situation was causing Dawn. She sucked them back long enough to hold her sister's gaze.

"Well, Dawn? What do you want?"

"I want you all to leave me alone," she said, her voice breaking. "I need some time to think and time to settle down."

She turned and fled into the halls, leaving all the others in fragments in her wake.

**

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**A.N:** Well? I know I've left you all hanging forever, but I still love your reviews. Review if you forgive me! I'm begging you. Anoron XX00


	38. Uninvited

**Disclaimer:**All things Harry Potter belong to the fabulous JK Rowling and all things Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to the equally fabulous Joss Whedon. I do not describe myself as fabulous and am neither of these people, therefore I own nothing. 'Uninvited' is by Alanis Morissette. 'She Hates Me' is by Puddle of Mudd.

**A.N:**I miss you guys, and I'm sorry RL is such a pain. I love you all for sticking with me and wish I could give back the support you bring to me with each review. Thanks and big love! Hope you continue to enjoy. XX

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

**Uninvited**

The Common Room was completely quiet. Nobody was moving, none of them seemed sure of what to do. It was as if they were all waiting for the aftershock to hit. James was standing in a daze, while Peter began to fumble at his nose with a handkerchief and nobody else seemed to have realised that he was still bleeding.

Buffy glared at Spike. "I want to know."

Spike glared back. "After all this, do you really think I'd just open my mouth and blurt it out? You let Dawn tell you if and when she wants to."

With that, Spike stalked out. Buffy's eyes narrowed angrily at his retreating form and a moment later she was following him. She wasn't giving up that easily. Sirius was mournfully fiddling with the bracelet Dawn had given back to him when Remus sidled up next to his friend.

"I should go find her," Sirius said, moving as if to make for the portrait hole.

"No," Remus said, holding him back by the sleeve. "She asked us to leave her alone, and it would be better for Dawn if someone more neutral went. In a while I'll use the Map to track her down and see how she is, ok? In the meantime there's other things to worry about too."

Sirius scowled. Dawn was the most important on his list of concerns, to hell with all else. "Like what?"

"Like getting James to the Hospital Wing, for one thing. And for another, do you think McGonagall's going to be pleased with Dawn when she sees that broken window?"

"McGonagall will never need to know," Sirius decided. "I'll fix it."

He pulled his wand out and went over to the shards of glass still left in the frame. Satisfied to have something constructive in motion, Remus turned to James, planning to escort him to Madam Pomfrey. To his surprise, he had been beaten to the task.

"You're doing it wrong," Lily said snappily, marching over and pulling the bloody cloth from Peter's hands. "You need to put more pressure on it to stop the bleeding. Like this."

She covered James' nose with the handkerchief and pinched his nostrils together. James couldn't help but wince slightly, but still no sound of pain escaped him.

"Don't you wince at me, Potter," Lily said in a dangerous impression of McGonagall at her most furious. "And tilt your head back you stupid clown, or you'll bleed to death. Not that you don't deserve it, this is a new low even for you."

Not taking care in the least to be gentle, she began to walk him out of the Common Room and down to the Hospital Wing. Lily berated him the entire way there, but James found he couldn't argue even if he wanted to. His throat was tightening with every new word of blame Lily heaped onto him.

"Honestly, Potter, I always knew you were arrogant and selfish but how you could be so cruel and heartless to Dawn is beyond me. Some brother you make."

James felt the backs of his eyes prickling and blinked furiously against it. At long last they reached the Hospital Wing and Lily called out for Madam Pomfrey as she pushed James down to sit on a bed. The Matron came out, took one look at the red-soaked handkerchief, and gasped.

"Miss Evans! What did you do?"

If James wasn't feeling wretched to the core he would have laughed at the way Lily's jaw dropped. She had the most indignant gleam in her eye.

"I didn't do it!"

"Then who did?"

Lily faltered. How could she turn Dawn in for doing something she herself had yearned to do for years, and with such good cause? James quickly coughed to test his throat's capabilities.

"Nobody did it," he said as quickly as his blood-thickened voice would allow. "I ran into a door."

"Really?" quipped Madam Pomfrey, as if she hadn't heard the terrible excuse a hundred and one times during her tenure at Hogwarts. "Don't move, Potter, I'll be back in a moment."

Madam Pomfrey bustled off to her supplies room, leaving the two teens alone again.

"I suppose you think covering for Dawn like that makes everything ok," Lily hissed after a few moments. "Like you should just be automatically forgiven."

James suddenly found it all too much to take anymore. He had thought he couldn't possibly feel any lower than when did knowing what he'd done to Dawn, but he'd been wrong. Hearing in very specific detail all the new levels of disgust Lily had acquired for him in the past half an hour was rubbing salt in his wounds like he'd never felt before. The tears welled in his eyes, and he knew Lily saw them before he turned his face away.

"Potter," Lily gasped, suddenly unsure of herself. "I'm not… I didn't mean…"

Past humiliation, James whipped his head around to glare at Lily with watery eyes. He pulled the handkerchief away from his face and tossed it aside.

"You didn't mean what, Evans? To make me feel like the lowest form of dirt you've ever walked all over? Yes, you did. And you really needn't have bothered, you know," he croaked. "I already know Dawn will probably never forgive me. And if you think I've got a chance in hell of ever forgiving myself then you're out of your mind."

Lily suddenly became aware of two new emotions she'd never felt before in relation to James Potter: guilt and sympathy.

"James…"

"Don't," he said shortly, though his spine had tingled at the sound of her voice saying his name. "You don't want to be here anyway, I bet. You should just go."

To her surprise and confusion, Lily found herself hesitating. "You shouldn't have to be alone for this."

He shrugged, no longer bold enough to meet her gaze but staring at the floor instead. "Madam Pomfrey can mend bones in a heartbeat. I bet a broken nose is nothing for her to fix."

"Well," Lily said, shifting her weight between her feet. "Someone really should go and fetch Dawn's book bag before Filch comes across it."

"Can you imagine trying to explain that one to him?" James murmured.

Lily felt a smile tug at her lips. "I just hope it hasn't landed all the way out in the lake. That was quite a throw."

James tried a tiny smile of his own. "With an arm like that, maybe I can convince her to go out for one of the Beater positions next year. Go on then, go see about that bag."

Lily bit her lip, a little confused at the way she no longer felt mad at the boy sitting on the bed, dangling his legs over the edge and looking suddenly childlike. An idea formed in her mind, and before reason could talk her out of it she acted.

She kissed James' cheek and then ran away in the hopes that she wouldn't have to face up to what she'd just done. James brought a hand up to touch his cheek, just to make sure it was really his.

Madam Pomfrey came rushing back in with a canister of orange paste. "Knew I had it in my store room somewhere. Alright Potter… Why are you grinning like some kind of idiot?"

* * *

Buffy caught up with Spike in the Common Room they shared. She grabbed his sleeve and pulled him around to face her.

"I want to know," she repeated. "I want to know what he told you to get Dawn so upset."

"No," Spike said flatly.

"Dawn's my sister, I have a right to know!"

"No, you don't!" Spike bellowed, losing his patience. "Don't you get it, Slayer? This isn't about you, pet. This is about a fifteen year-old hormone bomb that's run off somewhere in this place, crying her eyes out because the people she's supposed to be able to trust are just taking what they want from her. Leavin' her to feel cheated and used."

Buffy clenched her fists, fighting to keep her temper in check in the face of Spike's outburst. "How am I supposed to take care of her if I don't know what's wrong?"

"You're not, pet," Spike explained. "You're supposed to let her figure out what she does and doesn't need your help with. Judging from the life she's put together here, I'd say there's not much she does need from you anymore. But then that's the problem, isn't it?" he spat out snidely.

Buffy punched him. "How dare you?" she growled in a shaking, teary voice. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

She hit him again. Spike stumbled back, rubbing at his cheek. His cold eyes lifted to bore into hers.

"I won't always be around to blame, Slayer," he hissed. "Who will you pin all your faults on then?"

Before Buffy could swing again, he'd stalked out of their quarters, ignoring the cheery farewell Marcella the portrait had called after him. His face stinging and fuming inwardly at the whole situation, Spike took to roaming the castle restlessly. He was looking for a fight, a bit of fun… Anything to let off steam. He wondered where the nearest demon hotspot was – maybe he could get in a few good kills before the night was out.

Someone stumbled into him. "Watch where you're going," he snapped without looking up.

"Ssssssssssssorry, Spikey."

Spike looked up. "James, mate, don't ever call me that again. and how did you get your nose fixed and then sloshed so damn quick, anyway?"

James, his eyes more than just a little glazed over, smiled blandly. "Madam Pomfrey fixded me up all as good assss new. And who saided anything about me being sloshied? I'm not sloshied, Ssspike, honest."

"How could I have been so mistaken?" Spike muttered dryly. "You're way past sloshed and well on the way to completely trashed."

James nodded vigorously, looking extremely pleased that Spike had figured it out so easily. He brought a half-drunk bottle of Firewhiskey out from the folds of his robes, displaying it proudly to Spike before taking another generous swig. Spike raised an eyebrow, weighing up his options.

"I'm guessing you'll be in a world of trouble if you're caught with that?"

James nodded again. grinning. "Evans kissed me, you know. But she still hates me. Dawn hates me too now. Everyone but the Firewhiskey hates me. The Firewhiskey is my friend."

"I doubt it's going to be such a good friend in the morning, kid. How about you share it with me, ay? Let's get you back where you belong before you come across someone else to hate you, too."

James thought it over, decided he liked Spike and would share with him, and realised that going back to Gryffindor tower before Filch caught him like this was probably a good idea, and offered the bottle to the vampire. Spike took a swig.

"Not bad. Can you get any more of this?"

"I'm a Marauderer-er!" James boasted. "I can get anything I want."

Spike snorted. "Except the girl."

He helped James stumble back to Gryffindor tower, where the Common Room had been conspicuously abandoned. While James shamelessly raided the sixth year boys' not-so-secret alcohol stash until he'd unearthed another couple of bottles, Spike wandered over to inspect the newly repaired window. It looked much the same as it had before, but a strange insignia had appeared in the top right hand corner. It was an intricate little silhouette involving a pair of antlers, a paw print, a crescent moon, a little rat's tail and a pair of cat ears.

James handed him a full bottle of Firewhiskey and Spike twisted the lid off, downing a large portion of the liquid in one mouthful. It wasn't long before the vampire was almost as heavily intoxicated as the teenager.

* * *

"There, there," Myrtle soothed awkwardly as Dawn sobbed into her folded up arms. "It'll all work out, I'm sure."

"How?" Dawn wailed.

"Erm… I don't know," Myrtle said, frowning as a new wave of hysteria threatened to break over Dawn. Who knew comforting people was so nerve-wracking? "There, there."

She tried to lay a hand on Dawn's shoulder, but it sank right into the Gryffindor's body. Feeling as if an icepack had been slapped right onto her skin without warning, Dawn squealed and bolted upright.

"Sorry!" Myrtle squealed in response. "I didn't think."

Dawn gave one last giant sniff and rubbed her fists over her eyes. "It's ok, Myrtle. I should get a grip, anyway, stop being such a cry-baby."

"I don't know," Myrtle said thoughtfully. "I think being a cry-baby is seriously underrated."

"Yeah," Dawn smiled. "Nobody seems to appreciate a good whiner anymore. But I shouldn't be whingeing really, I mean how many people in the world can say their biggest problem is too many people love them?"

"Not nearly enough," the ghost admitted mournfully.

Not really hearing the other voice in the room, Dawn continued on and worked herself into a strong ramble. "It's just… How am I supposed to choose? Things here are as perfect as I'd ever hoped for, with Sirius, my friends… my family. I know I'm only fifteen, but I thought I'd found the love of my life and I can't imagine ever loving anybody the way I love Sirius. But how can I turn my back on Buffy now, after everything? She's my sister. She's _more_ than my sister… She's the reason I'm alive."

Myrtle cocked her head to the side, listening intently as Dawn continued.

"I know things were never quite right for me in Sunnydale, I never really fit in but I'm different now. I'm not the same little girl I was when I jumped from that tower. Maybe things there will be different for me now that I'm different. It could happen… Or my wand could end up getting left in a drawer to gather dust while I slowly revert to a useless, pain in the ass tagalong. I don't know," she moaned.

"Maybe you should flip a galleon then," Myrtle tried. "At least you won't have so much trouble deciding – the coin can do it for you."

Dawn snorted. "After the tantrum I just chucked over making my own decisions, I can't just let it boil down to something as light as flipping a coin. That's not fair, I can't pretend there's an easy option. No matter what I do, people will be hurt," she whispered.

"And hurting yourself even more isn't going to change that," someone told her.

Dawn and Myrtle looked around to the doorway, where Remus stood gazing back at them. "We should put a bell on that door," Dawn sighed.

Myrtle zoomed up to hover in between Remus and Dawn like a transparent barrier. "Dawn doesn't want to see anyone right now!" the ghost declared, but two seconds later she'd softened.

"Is James with you?"

"No, Myrtle, James isn't here," Remus said quietly. "But I really would like to see Dawn, if that's alright."

"Come on over," Dawn said, smiling tiredly at her best friend. "It's ok."

Remus sat next to Dawn on her step and squeezed her hand. "Some night you're having, Kitten. I haven't seen someone scream like that since Romulus didn't get the Bludger set he wanted for Christmas."

Dawn giggled faintly, then closed her eyes. "I'm so confused, Rem."

"I know, Dawn," he soothed. "But you were right: this is your decision. You have to make up your own mind."

"But how can I choose between-"

Remus' hand clamping over her mouth cut Dawn's sentence short.

"Yes, you have to make a decision that will hurt people no matter which way you go. This we know. Don't focus on that. Focus on what _you_ want."

He dropped his hand from her mouth when he was sure he had her attention. His voice dropped to a whisper when he went on.

"Think about your future, Dawn. One year from now, where are you? Five, ten, twenty, fifty years from now, what does your life look like? If it's here, then stay with us. If it's there… go. If you think of Sunnydale when you think of 'home' then go home."

Dawn's eyes watered as she tried to come to terms with this new perspective. It made things seem clearer to her, but still did not make her decision any easier to reach. Remus smiled gently.

"Hey, you don't have to decide right this second. Take your time and don't let anybody rush you."

"Why are you so good to me?" Dawn sniffled.

"Because you've always wanted the best for me unconditionally," Remus said, quiet and serious as he stared into Dawn's eyes. "I'm not going to lie Dawn, I don't want you to go for completely selfish reasons. I don't want to lose my best friend. But if leaving is the best thing for you, then I swear to Merlin I'll do everything in my power to help you."

Myrtle sighed appreciatively, and Dawn threw herself into Remus for a bone-crushing hug. They separated after a while and got to their feet, silently agreeing to head back to the Common Room. Dawn grinned over at Myrtle.

"Thanks for the sympathy."

"Anytime," Myrtle said enthusiastically. "I'm always here. I'd try to visit you again, but I'd hate for what happened last time to happen again," the ghost said, her eyes glazing over a little at the memory of James in the shower.

"Sure you would," Remus snickered. "Bye."

He and Dawn walked slowly through the castle together, Dawn in truth a little afraid of what she would have to face when she returned to Gryffindor tower. It had been a long time since she had yelled so much, and at so many people. As they approached the stairwell, they met Lily, who was coming up from the direction of the Entrance Hall. Dawn's book bag was slung over one shoulder.

"You dropped this," Lily murmured, causing both Dawn and Remus to chuckle.

"Thanks," Dawn returned as Lily handed her the bag.

The three went on, Remus promising that Sirius had fixed the window and Lily admitting she had left James –er, Potter- in the Hospital Wing. Dawn noticed a new colour in Lily's cheeks when she said this, but did not have the energy to begin an interrogation.

"We forgot to take down the Silencing Charms over the stairs to the dorms," Remus realised out of the blue.

Then they arrived in the hallway containing the entrance to their Common Room to the muffled sounds of blaring rock music and loud voices.

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing," Dawn commented to Remus.

The trio stood before the portrait of the Fat Lady, who was looking extremely angry.

"Ought to inform the Headmaster," she was muttering to herself.

"What's going on in there?" Lily called over the noise.

"The pair of them, blaring that rubbish and drunk out of their minds! I popped in to give them what for, and they just told me to sod off!" the Fat Lady huffed.

"We'll see about that," Lily said, looking indignant as a Prefect that such a thing could happen in her Common Room of all places. "You let us in there and we'll sort it out. Lion's den."

Looking somewhat abated, the portrait swung open and the three students clambered through. Their mouths dropped open simultaneously as they took in the sight.

Firewhiskey each in hand and slopping all over the place, James and Spike were thrashing erratically about and bellowing off-key to the song thundering through the room.

_"she fuckin' hates me_

_trust_

_she fuckin' hates me_

_La La La love_

_I tried too hard_

_and she tore my feelings like I had none_

_and ripped them away…"_

"Merlin," Remus breathed in awe. "I didn't even know vampires could get drunk."

Dawn just arched an eyebrow, not taking her eyes from the scene for even a second. A part of her wanted to scream at them, an even more vindictive part of her would find savage pleasure in fetching McGonagall, but she couldn't ignore the part of her that was tempted to just laugh. Lily, however, showed no traces of amusement at all. She angrily jabbed her wand and the music disappeared.

Realising their accompaniment had vanished, Spike and James staggered around to see what was going on. Spike burped and took a swig from the bottle in his hand. James just waved. Dawn bit her lip and avoided his gaze. She wasn't quite sure she could handle talking to him just yet. Glaring, Lily stalked up and snatched away their alcohol, grimacing at the smell.

"Hey!" Spike protested, swiping his hand out to claim his bottle back, but Lily had smartly fastened the lids and put them out of sight. She put her hands on her hips, took a deep breath, and laid into them.

"Just what do the two of you think you're doing? This is completely unacceptable, drinking right out here in the middle of the Common Room like this. Any of the younger students could've seen you. What if they'd got their hands on this stuff and given themselves alcohol poisoning, hmm? How would you have felt then? As it is you're lucky not to have been caught by a Professor – the poor Fat Lady was quite ready to report you to Dumbledore when we arrived. I've still got half a mind to do so myself!"

Dawn and Remus were placidly watching the scene. While Lily ranted, working herself up more and more as she went on, her words were falling on deaf ears. Spike's nostrils were twitching suspiciously like he was trying to hunt down more alcohol, while James was staring dumbstruck at the redhead before him. He was swaying slightly on his feet and it was clear he wasn't taking in a word Lily was saying, even as she turned her attention squarely on him.

"I don't believe you sometimes, Potter. Why do you do it? how is it that you can be human one moment, and then turn back into such a git so quickly? Is it just a game? What's wrong with you, is it just that you like playing with me?"

It didn't take long to realise that Lily was angry about more than just the drinking, and Dawn decided she'd bet the farm it had something to do with the colour in Lily's cheeks when she'd mentioned James earlier. She stepped up and laid a hand on Lily's arm.

"Lil, I don't think this is doing any good. They're too drunk to take it all in, I think we should save the lectures for tomorrow," she suggested gently.

Lily exhaled loudly. "You're right."

"Could you two take Spike back to his room please? The password is 'dude'. I've got to deal with my brother," Dawn said grimly.

Lily and Remus rounded Spike up and herded him out of the Common Room. Dawn turned to find James blinking sadly at her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I know, and it's a start," Dawn sighed. "Come on, let's get you to bed before you pass out where the whole House can see you."

She looped an arm about his waist and guided him up to the boys' dorm. The curtains were already drawn around both Sirius and Peter's beds, Dawn cast a longing glance at Sirius' bed before depositing James gently on his own.

"I didn't mean to tell," he mumbled as Dawn began to take his shoes and socks off. "But we saw Malfoy and I got so angry just thinking about what he did to you… I didn't even realise I was saying anything out loud until Spike baled me up against the wall and demanded the whole story."

Dawn was blinking back tears as she stood up and began to pull at his jumper and shirt. "But it was careless, and it hurt me," she whispered. "You don't know what it's like, James, living with what he did. I know we don't talk about it anymore, but it's like… it's like Isabel. It softens with time but it never goes away. Having it thrown in my face like that just brought it all back to the surface."

She went into the bathroom and filled a goblet of water to give herself a moment to calm down. By the time she returned to the main part of the dorm, James had shed his pants and pulled his pyjama bottoms on. He caught Dawn's free hand as she put the water goblet on his bedside table.

"Dawn… I probably don't deserve it, but will you ever forgive me? You're my sister, I couldn't live with myself if I'd made you hate me forever," he said, his eyes pleading with her.

Dawn thought a moment. Then she smoothed James' sweaty hair down and planted a kiss on the top of his head. "Yes, you're forgiven James. What's the point of us being siblings if we can't learn to forgive each other when we make a mistake?"

James smiled. Then he hiccoughed. "I don't feel so good," he moaned.

"I'm not surprised," Dawn muttered. "Get into bed and lay on your side. I don't want you puking in your sleep and choking."

"Lovely," James yawned, but did as he was told while Dawn went back into the bathroom and wet a washcloth. She put his glasses next to the water goblet and cooled his face down with the washcloth.

"There's water here if you need it, and I'll conjure a bucket just in case, ok? Try not to need it. Get some sleep, I'm sure Remus will keep an eye on you. Goodnight, James," she whispered, kissing his forehead.

"Night, Kitten," he yawned in return.

Dawn conjured the bucket as promised, then turned away from James' bed, leaving the hangings open. On her way out the door, she paused by Sirius' bed, cracking the hangings to look in on him as he slept. She smiled to herself. He always looked so much younger asleep.

She conjured a single red rose and left it on the spare pillow for him to wake up to in the morning.

* * *

"So, unless Wormtail's recently shifted his priorities, I'm assuming I've got you to thank for the flower," a voice behind Dawn piped up as she crossed the Common Room quite late in the morning.

She stopped and turned to face Sirius, dropping her bag on the nearest table in the process. "After all the horrible things I said last night, I just didn't want you to forget I could be nice too," she said.

He smiled, stepping up close and running his finger along her nose. "You were upset and under a lot of pressure. I'm sorry for my part in that."

"No!" Dawn shook her head quickly. "You're not supposed to be sorry, I am. I'm sorry I said that about… about the bracelet. It was a great gift, I don't for a second believe you'd try to bribe me like that. It was a horrible thing for me to say."

"You're forgiven," Sirius grinned. "And hey, maybe I'll surprise you with it again one day."

"I'd like that. So, is James alive, or is he bed-bound for the day?" Dawn giggled.

Sirius shuddered. "Messes like the one James produced are the kind that haunt you forever. Sometimes there just aren't enough cleaning charms. Prongs is already at breakfast though, Moony forced him down to get some grease into him. Moony said Lily's threatened to go to McGonagall if he misses so much as a second of class today."

"Poor James," Dawn murmured.

Sirius winked. "Let's not dwell on it. I think it'd be much better if you showed me just how nice you can be… I'm even willing to skip breakfast to give you a chance."

Dawn grinned and pushed him down on the nearest couch. "Well with a sales pitch like that, how could I possibly refuse?"

In response, Sirius pulled her down on top of him. She kissed his forehead, then his nose before working her way down to his lips while he let his hands rum up and down her back. Dawn sighed, content.

"Lily didn't mention anything against us skipping class, did she? I could stay here all day."

Sirius was too intent on more kisses to respond. Neither was in any position to be taking much notice when a bright white light sparked into existence several metres from the couch they were laying on. Gradually, the spark grew until it looked like a small tear in the fabric of the air. Finally, a much stronger wave of energy pulsated through the room, too great to escape Sirius and Dawn's notice any longer.

They stopped, lips still pressed together. Then, slowly, their heads turned towards where the flash of light had come from. They stared.

The four people who had just magically appeared in the room stared back.

Though she looked drained from the use of magic, the roots of her hair were tinged black but her eyes still quite green, the redhead managed a shy smile and a wave. "Sorry – is this a bad time?"

It was only when the middle-aged man whipped his glasses from his face and began to clean them that Dawn realised Sirius still had his hands on her backside. She discreetly pushed them away, blushing slightly. Then Anya spoke, and Dawn's blush deepened a thousandfold.

"Don't feel bad, Willow. We only interrupted foreplay, it doesn't look like they've got to the actual sex part yet."

Dawn squeaked. She and Sirius leapt to their feet. Willow and the dark-haired guy next to her looked as if they could've been knocked over by a feather after that last comment, while Sirius could've sworn he heard the man cleaning his glasses mutter, "Oh dear Lord."

"You'd think by this stage in my life I'd be used to all the humiliation," Dawn sighed.

"Take it from an expert – you never get used to it."

"Thanks, Xander," Dawn giggled and hugged him.

Next she reached for Willow, and held onto the Wicca for extra long. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

She felt Willow nod into her shoulder and give her an extra squeeze. When they finally broke apart, Dawn found herself standing before Anya, who had her eyebrows raised.

"We don't have to hug again, do we?"

"We don't have to," Dawn told her.

Anya pouted.

"But we can if you want."

A huge smile broke out on the Vengeance Demon's face and she and Dawn hugged before Dawn turned and grinned cheekily at Giles. She arched an eyebrow and gestured to the glasses he was just slipping back onto the bridge of his nose.

"Four seconds. That's got to be some kind of record."

"Perhaps," Giles agreed softly. "Hello Dawn."

"Hi Giles," Dawn said, smiling as the normally affection-shy Watcher held her close for a moment.

She turned to introduce Sirius to the rest of the Scooby gang, but found she had no need. He and Xander had introduced themselves, taking a liking to each other the instant they'd shaken hands. Even Willow and Anya were smiling and being drawn into the conversation.

"Friend of yours?" Giles enquired sardonically, and Dawn had to fight off another blush as she recalled the position she and Sirius had been discovered in.

"You might say that. Sirius," she called over to him, "Come and meet Giles. Giles, this is my boyfriend, Sirius Black."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Sirius said as he shook the older man's hand, his conscious effort to get along with these Scoobies pleasing Dawn.

"Hello," Giles returned, before looking back to Dawn. "Shall we go and find Buffy?"

"We'd better take you to Dumbledore's office first," Dawn countered. "Let him know there's a few more for the House-Elves to cater for. Then we can find Buffy and Spike."

Sirius and Dawn took the others through the castle to meet Dumbledore, the Headmaster quickly sending the students off to the class they were very close to being late for. Then he reunited the Scoobies with Buffy and Spike. The group stood around and shuffled their feet, awkward after the nature of Buffy and Spike's departure.

"So…" Xander finally said. "Cavalry's here."

Buffy smiled. "Is it a frightened guy with a rock?"

Then she noticed the way Willow was studiously gazing at her feet. The Slayer bit her lip, torn between concern for her friend, and relief that she was no longer trying to end the world, and apprehension. This was the woman who had casually flung her into a whole new world just to get her out of the way. But it was still Willow.

"Willow? Will, look at me."

Shaking slightly from fear, and from exhaustion after using so much of her power to open the portal, the redhead slowly looked up. Her eyes met Buffy's and they stared at each other for a long time. Then Buffy pulled her close, holding her best friend as tight as she could without her Slayer strength causing any damage.

"I was so worried about you," Buffy choked out.

Willow began to cry. "I'm sorry."

"I know. It's ok. It's ok, Will," Buffy soothed.

They took Willow up to the rooms Dumbledore had organised next to Buffy and Spike's quarters to rest. The others spent the rest of the morning talking, catching up on all that had happened and making plans for the return to Sunnydale. Giles was insistent that in Willow's frail state, she have plenty of time to rest and recuperate before attempting to use such a large store of her magic again.

Though she was anxious to return to the Hellmouth, Buffy nodded in agreement as they headed towards a slightly elongated Gryffindor table for lunch. Nothing could make her want to risk losing Willow again. Students began to crowd into the Hall, throwing curious glances at yet more newcomers but for the most part leaving them alone. When the fifth year Gryffindors herded noisily in, they claimed the seats near the Scoobies and Dawn introduced anyone who hadn't already met. When she was done, she smiled tentatively at her sister to let her know she was feeling better after her outburst the night before.

Buffy smiled back and squeezed her hand briefly. Dawn then frowned and looked around at the depleted Scoobies.

"Willow's resting," Buffy said before she could ask. "She used a lot of energy getting here."

A shout of surprise, followed by a burst of laughter pulled their attention elsewhere. Peter had offered Xander a chocolate frog; Xander had not been prepared for it to leap at him when he opened the packet and the Marauders were all laughing hysterically as he scrambled to retrieve it. he recovered the chocolate, stared at it for several fascinated moments, then grinned.

"How cool is this?"

He ate it happily, and the boys abandoned their half-eaten lunches to show him a few simple spells. Peter used a Levitation charm to get his fork to feed him, while Remus transfigured his goblet into a little pink piglet that immediately began challenging Peter for his lunch. Sirius and James, who looked much better due to the Hangover-Cure potion Remus had brewed on the sly for him, decided to show off by staging a swordfight with their knives.

Moments later, Xander, Remus and Peter (having lost his lunch after a fierce battle with the piglet) were loudly cheering the duel on. Giles opened his mouth to call order to the group, but Dawn waved a hand to indicate he shouldn't bother.

"Just let it run it's course," she advised. "It's easier for all of us that way."

Eventually, the Marauders and Xander all got bored enough with the game for Remus to call it a draw without either James or Sirius starting a food fight in protest. The boys fell into restless silence, as if simply waiting for the next amusement to spring up. Then Sirius' face slid into the wicked grin that Dawn was always so thrilled, yet so frightened to see.

"We have to throw a party this Friday," he announced. "It would be bad hospitality for us not to honour the arrival of Dawn's family."

"Hey, a Welcome Wagon. Just what I like to see," Xander enthused, slapping Sirius on the back.

James' eyes had a new gleam in them. "We'll make it our wildest bash yet…"

A boy a few seats along the table cleared his throat pointedly.

"Head Boy who really doesn't want to have to ruin anyone's fun in earshot," Frank said in a sing-song voice.

Dawn smiled winningly at him. "We can invite Alice."

"Well I'm sure that as Head Boy, my supervision should be sufficient. No need to even bother the Professors with it, I think. They have so much on their plates already," Frank countered smoothly.

The Marauders let out a cheer for Frank. Frank winked slyly at them.

_

* * *

_

_Dawn frowned, spinning around on the spot as she tried to figure out where she was. It was the lower regions of the castle, she was sure, but where exactly she couldn't figure out._

_Red eyes were gleaming, leering at her from the darkness._

_A rat scuttled in front of her._

_"They're coming, sweetheart."_

_At the sound of Joyce's voice behind her, Dawn whipped about._

_Nothing._

_"From beneath you it devours," came Tara's voice, but when Dawn spun again, she was alone in the hall._

_Then both women's voices fused together._

_"They're here!"_

_The world slipped away. Dawn was falling… Falling._

* * *

"Oomph!"

Dawn grunted as she hit the floor, waking with a jolt. She'd fallen out of bed from too much tossing and turning with her dream. She tensed as she remembered the jumbled words and images. Red eyes. Voldemort. Here!

She was scrambling to her feet as Lily's tousled head poked out from between her hangings.

"All right, Dawn?" she yawned. "What on earth are you doing out of bed at this hour?"

"Voldemort," Dawn gasped, already pulling a jumper and jeans over her night-clothes. "Lily, I had a dream. He's here, at Hogwarts!"

There was another thunk as Lily fell out of bed in shock. She clumsily clambered to her feet. "No… It can't be. What do we do?"

While the Prefect was throwing on her bathrobe, Dawn thought about what she was supposed to do. Usually her role was to be afraid and then be rescued, but that involved a lot of doing nothing and this was definitely a time when something needed to be done. She nodded decisively.

"I know what to do."

She woke the boys as quickly as she could and started explaining her dream, and what she wanted to do. They grouped in the Common Room, looking tired and frightened, but grim and resolved.

"Ok, Lily, I think you should stay here," Dawn began right away. "We can't risk anyone else leaving this tower and getting hurt and you've got the most authority to stop them. Hex them and seal the portrait if you have to."

Lily clutched at her wand, as if hordes of first years were expected to stage an escape at any given moment. She nodded solemnly. Dawn turned to the boys and bit her lip.

"We need to split up. James, did you bring the Cloak?"

James held the silvery material up for all to see, but Remus interrupted before Dawn could explain the next phase of her plan.

"Hang on, Dawn. I don't like the idea of splitting up. We can't protect all of us with the Cloak if were going off in different directions."

Dawn held up a hand, then turned to Peter and grabbed his thick arms. "Peter, do you think you can go by yourself to Dumbledore's office? If you transform, you can go as a rat safely."

Fear, and something quite foreign welled in Peter as he stared into Dawn's pleading, beautiful eyes. It was pride. Dawn needed him to do something important, something none of the others would be able to do. Not even Sirius. He nodded. Dawn smiled.

"Great. The password is 'Oreo Cookies'. Tell Dumbledore to get the Aurors and alert the Professors NOW."

Sirius squeezed Dawn's hand, not noticing that Peter scowled as he lost the limelight. "What about us?"

"We've got to get the Scoobies. Buffy and Spike would never forgive me if I kept them in the dark about a fight. C'mon, let's move."

"Be careful," Lily called nervously as they covered themselves up and left the refuge of the Common Room.

As soon as they were out into the halls, James clapped Peter supportively on the back. He stared at them all for a moment with his small, colourless eyes, then transformed and Wormtail scurried towards the Headmaster's office as quickly as he could. The others shuffled briskly towards the Scoobies' quarters.

"Dude," Dawn hissed at Marcella, then moved quickly to the next portrait, marking the entrance to the rest of the gang's quarters. "Sweet."

She waved Sirius and Remus in to wake Giles and the others, while she and James went to alert Buffy and Spike. Dawn wasn't surprised to find both Slayer and vampire awake and prowling restlessly about their rooms. They came into their Common Room as soon as Dawn and James called out, senses on high alert.

"What's going on?" Buffy demanded, seeing the unnerved look in her younger sister's eyes.

"You remember how I told you all about the big bad here, Voldemort? He's here, in the castle! I had a dream, a vision, his infiltrating the dungeons right now!" she said all in one breath.

Right then, Giles barged into the room, Willow, Anya, Xander, Sirius and Remus right on his heels. A darkly significant look passed between the Slayer and her Watcher. Buffy nodded firmly, in full General mode.

"You guys stay in here. We'll take care of this."

"No way," Sirius blurted. James, Remus and Dawn nodded in grim agreement with the outburst.

"You don't even know where the action is, how to get there," Dawn argued. "We have our wands, we're better protected than you think, Buffy."

"I don't like it," Buffy said, shaking her head.

"You don't have to," Dawn snapped impatiently. "We don't have time to argue."

James looked at the Invisibility Cloak still in his hands and, making a quick decision, dropped it on the coffee table. There was no need for secrecy now; they had the troops. As soon as they were back in the hall, Buffy pushed all the teenagers to the middle of the pack where she could more easily protect them. They gave their directions in whispers, otherwise moving silently towards the dungeons until Dawn called them to a halt. Buffy took several deep breaths and tried to focus the warning tingles in her system to pinpoint the threat while Spike sniffed the air experimentally. His nose screwed up with distaste and he nodded. They were close.

"Students to my office at once," whispered a new voice, far more authoritative than Buffy's despite the lack of volume. Dumbledore had arrived on the scene. Behind him stood McGonagall, Flitwick and a handful of other deadly serious looking Professors with their wands already drawn.

"And have them miss all the fun? Dumbledore, I'm surprised at you."

A collective shudder ran through the group at the slinky, ominous voice of Lord Voldemort. The black-robed figure seemed to be melting in from the shadows at the end of the corridor, a dozen Death Eaters at his command. Dumbledore alone seemed completely calm.

"Let the children go, Tom," he said clearly. "There is no need to keep innocent students here for this."

Voldemort glided forwards a few paces. A calculating smile spread over his lips as he stared hard at each of the present Marauders in turn. Dawn felt as though someone was sliding ice cubes along her spine as she found herself wrapped up in the glare of red eyes she had seen so many times in her dreams. Around her she felt James, Sirius and Remus tensing and Dawn sensed rather than saw Buffy and Spike shifting, poised for an attack.

"No," Voldemort said at last, his voice menacing in its softness. "Let them stay. I will give them more of an education in one night than this pathetic hovel offers in seven years."

Dumbledore's voice softened in resignation and the old wizard thought quickly, hoping to stall Voldemort's attack by keeping him talking. "You learned much in your time here, you simply took the wrong lessons to heart."

"Fool," Voldemort laughed. "If you truly believe that, then you are even more the dotard than I believed, old man. I will succeed, and the world will be purified of all the Muggle and Mudblood garbage you cherish so. You say to me 'let them go'. But where will your precious students go when then world is at my feet and their options are but to submit to me or die?"

"Do you truly believe you can achieve that, Tom? The world is not made for the kingdom of one man."

"I will have my world, one way or another," Voldemort muttered, but his attention had shifted from Dumbledore to the people behind him. He took in each of the Scoobies in turn, for a long time staring at Buffy as if he was taking the measure of her power. But the Slayer stood firm against him, her glare challenging his through every heartbeat until finally Voldemort turned his attention to Willow. He smirked. Again he felt the power, but the redhead was not as firm as the miniscule blonde had been. He could practically see her shaking with fear, but it was not fear of him. It was fear of herself. She was corruptible. All she needed was a little push.

He flicked his wrist, sending a bolt of darkness right into Willow's heart. The Wicca screamed; black was bleeding through her veins, eyes and hair.

Instantly, all the attention turned in on her. Giles was trying to whisper in her ear and keep her grounded, while Buffy and Spike stepped up to hold her steady and Xander and Anya milled nervously behind them. The Death Eaters were watching with a sick, hungry sort of amusement as the black seeped deeper and darker into Willow. She was slipping.

Dumbledore had not moved his glare from Voldemort's anticipating sneer. But then Willow gave a violent screech that threw the Scoobies back against the wall with its force, and the Headmaster was forced to make a split-second decision.

He spun around, robes billowing, and raised his hands towards Willow. Black eyes glared at him, an angry snarl escaped her lips as she was encased in something flowing and eternal, like warm water. Everyone seemed to pause and watch him with fascination as the blackness slowly seeped from Willow into her protective covering, and nobody seemed had noticed that with Dumbledore's energies focused behind him, there was now nobody standing between the Marauders and Voldemort.

The Dark Wizard appeared to have quite forgotten Willow even existed, he was smiling broadly as Daw and the boys stared up at him in silent terror. He took them all in, his eyes lingering longest on Sirius and James. It took every ounce of their Gryffindor willpower to stand and take it.

"James Potter… Sirius Black… we meet at last," Voldemort said in his most cultured tones, as if a casual acquaintance had just introduced them at a gathering. "I've heard many things about the both of you."

"I'm sure you have," James replied as bravely as he could.

"Hmm," Voldemort said coolly. "It's not too late for you, you know, Potter. The rest of your worthless blood-traitor family have made their fatal errors in standing against me, and so shall pay the price in due time. But you can rise above them all, James. Rise to greatness by my side."

James narrowed his eyes and refused to dignify Voldemort's request with an answer. Voldemort, meanwhile, was now focusing all his attention on Sirius. They could hear him clucking his tongue softly as he kept the younger Wizard hypnotized in his stare.

"Sirius, Sirius, do you not know your own surname, and all that comes with it? You are better than this rabble… this riff-raff… you should not fear your rightful place in the world."

Sirius raised his chin a notch in defiance at the notion, and Voldemort let out a hiss of amusement.

"The things you should know, Sirius my boy," he lamented. "You do not know how close acceptance is to you. That's all you want, isn't it? Acceptance… Family. I will show you that, they will love you again if you follow me. You will even have Potter by your side still, and together I will teach you the most amazing things, even more amazing than you can imagine. It's time to put away boyhood pranks and games, embrace what you truly are."

James' eyes had remained narrowed and his face hard, although his heart was pounding and he was praying deep down that Dumbledore would hurry up and help Willow so he could intervene for them. He hated to think what would happen to him and Sirius when they told Voldemort exactly where he could stick his offer.

"What do you want from us?" he tried implementing Dumbledore's stall tactic from earlier.

"Astute, Potter. Very astute," Voldemort nodded in approval. "Of course I would not offer a two Gryffindor brats such a gift of opportunity without wanting a token of your loyalty… just a little thing… I don't even know why you would value it in the first place…"

Both boys being addressed stood a little more stiffly, dread churning in their stomachs as Voldemort named his prize. The red eyes had locked hungrily on the one thing neither would give up without a fight to the death and then some.

"I want the Mudblood… I don't have a pet, but I would like one. I think she'll do."

He reached a hand out to pluck Dawn away, but lightning fast Remus had pulled her a step backwards, out of his reach. Sirius and James stepped up together to bravely create a human shield between Dawn and Voldemort. The other Professors were moving in, and the Scoobies and Dumbledore had realised what was happening, but none were in a position to block the students from harm's way. James was shaking his head wordlessly. Sirius was more vocal.

"Get stuffed," he snapped, for a heartbeat not caring to whom he was addressing himself.

Voldemort cocked his head to the side for a moment, as if he did not quite understand Sirius' comeback. Then his lip curled into a sneer. "Rudeness to your superiors should not be tolerated, boy. If Dumbledore has not taught you this lesson, I shall do so myself. _Crucio!_"

Dawn screamed. She shoved Sirius aside, out of the line of fire. It was sheer luck that the violent jet of light missed her by a mere centimetre as well, and behind her McGonagall was spared the pain only by her feline reflexes. Sirius stumbled, gained his feet, and stared defiantly back at Voldemort, who was still regarding him as if he was no more than a cheeky schoolboy.

Dumbledore's eyes blazed with a fury few had ever seen in them. "I will not stand by and allow you to harm my students, Tom!"

Voldemort chuckled. "There are pitifully few of you to try and stop me," he remarked.

"Those guys look pissed enough to help out," Buffy commented, looking beyond the Death Eaters, to where several Aurors had just Port-Keyed in. Their wands were already raised.

Dawn didn't even know who had fired off the first curse. All she knew was that there were jets of light in every colour rocketing off in every direction, Buffy had yelled, "Down!" at them, and McGonagall had taken all four students to the floor in one move.

"Take cover any way you can," the Deputy Headmistress ordered, and a heartbeat later she was back on her feet and duelling like a champion.

Dawn and Remus had scrambled to a shallow alcove set in one of the walls, but James and Sirius had flattened themselves against the other wall, barely covered by a suit of armour. The Marauders stared helplessly at each other across the gulf of fighting, but then they heard a cry of surprised pain; Anya had taken a hex to the back and crumpled to the floor. It occurred to the Marauders one by one that the Scoobies were hampered in their physical style of attack by a lack of magical cover, as Willow was still firmly enclosed in her protective casing and was unable to either affect or be affected by the outside world.

Soon enough, all four of them had their wands out and were firing off defensive spells to cover the Scoobies' backs, although James was also keeping a close watch on the tall, sturdy form of his father as he fended off two Death Eaters at once.

Voldemort and Dumbledore had moved ahead of the rabble. Jets of light, fire, water, knives, ropes and serpents were flying back and forth so fast it was a blur between them as they duelled; Voldemort hissing in anger while Dumbledore merely looked as though he'd come out for a spot of exercise. Buffy and Spike were eyeing off the Dark Lord wistfully, but both had figured out early on that they just didn't have the weapons to get close enough to inflict the damage they so dearly wanted to. Instead they were making a competition of knocking down the most Death Eaters for the Aurors and Professors to more easily bind.

Buffy smiled with pleasure as they largest Death Eater stepped within range. "The bigger they are…" she murmured.

It looked as if the Death Eater was sneering at her size beneath his mask. Buffy cracked her knuckles.

"Well my guess is this will take about four seconds."

The Death Eater raised his wand, but Buffy batted his hand away as easily as she would swat a fly.

"Oh please. How about next time, I give you a head start to make it fair?" she taunted.

The Death Eater growled and stepped in. Buffy punching him in the stomach so he doubled over, then stepped back to kick him squarely in the face. The mask and hood flew off, revealing the battered face of Rabastan Lestrange.

Dawn gasped. Memories of being captured, taunted and tortured flooded her mind as she looked into the Death Eater's face. Details that had previously been locked deep in her mind broke free and rushed to the surface. The effect was like multiple flashes of a series of rapid-fire photographs behind Dawn's eyes.

_Lost_

_Estranged_

_Stung_

_Tangled_

_Ripped_

_Alone_

_Nothing_

_Gone_

_Empty_

LESTRANGE!

Dawn threw her head back and screamed. All those still standing turned to look at her as she pointed a shaking hand at Lestrange and screamed again. Buffy paused, torn between hitting the bad guy again and moving to comfort her sister, but when Dawn managed to speak she ended up doing neither.

"Daddy!" Dawn yelled. "Dad, it's him! I remember now, it was him who hurt me."

Harold pushed roughly forwards towards Dawn. "Dawn, are you sure?"

Dawn was nodding hysterically, tears in her eyes. "Yes! It's him, I swear."

The Aurors immediately closed in on Lestrange, but Voldemort waved his wand and everybody in the hall not bearing the Dark Mark was thrown flat on their faces. Buffy looked up just in time to see the Death Eaters all touch something around their necks and disappear. By the time everyone was back on their feet, there was no trace of them.

"Damn it!" yelled Mad-Eye Moody, his electric blue eye swivelling in all directions in the vain hope of catching a lead.

"Well, at least we've got a positive I.D. on one of them now," Harold salvaged over the top of Dawn and James' heads. "We can get to work on bringing the bastard in."

"Ho can we be sure he's our guy from the abduction, though?" Moody asked, looking suspiciously at the back of Dawn's head as it laid against Harold's chest. "She was given the Identity Masking Agent."

"We still don't know all that much about it. There may be an expiration on its effectiveness, or it might be susceptible to memory triggers like the one Dawn's just had," Harold argued. He looked down at Dawn and smoothed a hand over her hair. "Dawn, honey?"

Dawn pulled back just far enough for her big blue eyes to peer up at Harold.

"We need to make sure this is right. Do you think we could let Madam Pomfrey do some tests on you, to see if the Identity Masking Agent is gone from your system? You won't have to do anything you don't want, sweetheart, I promise."

Dawn bit her lip, but nodded trustingly. Behind her, the Scoobies had gathered awkwardly, a decontaminated Willow having been released by Dumbledore and Anya having been revived by Flitwick. They were all watching the moment of tenderness. Buffy was looking at Dawn with her 'father' with a mix of sadness and jealousy. Xander shifted nervously from foot to foot.

"So, what else do you do for fun around here?"

**

* * *

**

**A.N:** 25 pages typed, I think that's the longest chapter I've ever written! R&R!


	39. The Difference

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing. It all belongs to either JK Rowling or Joss Whedon. Except for The Difference, which is by Matchbox Twenty. Yes, sigh, we're back to them again!

**A.N.**Sorry about lateness & lack of reviewer replies, life is so hectic it isn't funny. I still love you all! By the way – I broke 700 pages with this chapter. I'm very pleased, and I couldn't have done it without the support. XX00

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

**The Difference**

Dawn kept her breathing deep and calm, watching Madam Pomfrey slowly fill the syringe with her blood. Harold gave her free hand a supportive squeeze.

"Almost there, sweetheart… All done."

Madam Pomfrey carefully extracted the needle, then she waved her wand. Instantly the area of Dawn's arm that had been punctured was sterilised and a band-aid had attached itself over the wound. Next the matron bottled Dawn's blood in a small vial that was magically sealed and labelled with Dawn's name, the date, and a code that Harold explained was her case number.

"Thanks Poppy," Harold said, storing the vial safely in his robes.

"You're welcome, Harry. My best to Cecilia," she replied with a smile, then turned to hand Dawn a glass of water and a piece of chocolate. "Rest for a few minutes, and when you've finished this you may go."

Dawn accepted the offering gratefully. "Thanks."

"You make sure you eat your veggies tonight, young lady," Harold said sternly, but the moment Madam Pomfrey was out of sight he winked and slipped Dawn a Sugar Quill.

Dawn giggled, then lapsed into a heavy silence. Harold seemed to know what was on her mind almost at once. He smiled softly.

"Buffy seems like an incredible young woman," he said, gently easing his way into the difficult conversation. "You two sisters appear to love each other very much."

Dawn nodded mutely. Her throat was getting tight.

"Albus mentioned she was hoping you'd return with her when she leaves."

Eyes widened, Dawn looked up with some degree of guilt. "I was going to tell you and Mom Potter when I was… was ready. I haven't really a hundred percent decided what I'm going to do yet. I'm sorry, Dad, I should've owled you."

"Hey, no," Harold assured her. "That wasn't what I was getting at, love. Cecilia and I want to be parents for you, not controllers. You'll still be our girl no matter what you decide."

To his complete terror, Dawn's response was to burst into tears. Slightly panicked, but instinctive, he pulled her into his arms and rocked her against his chest.

"Whoa, now, sweetheart. I've told you I'm not very good with this crying business. You just take a deep breath and tell me what's wrong, and together we'll see what can be done about it, alright?" he said, the mere deepness of his voice going a long way to calming Dawn.

She sniffed. "It hurts so much, trying to decide," she moaned. "Remus said that no matter what I have to do what makes me happy, and I should picture my future and then I'll just know how to choose. I know he's right, but how can I be happy if I know I'm going to feel guilty forever about causing pain to people I love?"

Harold studied her with shrewd eyes, but his hand never stopped rubbing her back in gentle circles. It was a motion that always made James feel better, Harold was pleased to note that it seemed to work just as well for his daughter as his son.

"You already know what you need to do, don't you?' he asked softly.

Dawn's sniffles seemed to subside a little, although one last tear trickled from the corner of her eye as she met his gaze. She nodded, chewing her lip.

"Do you think they'll understand?"

"Anyone who loves you will come to understand that the best kind of love is the kind that you can let go of, if it's the right thing to do," he said firmly. Then he glanced at the clock and grimaced. "I should be heading back to the office. Are you ok, first?"

"Yeah," Dawn smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"Don't mention it, sweetheart. It's what I'm here for. I'll see you at the end of semester, right?"

"Right."

Harold kissed her cheek and turned for the exit. He was a few paces from the door when she called out to him.

"Dad? You're very good with the whole crying thing," she assured him.

"Good to know, honey."

He was still chuckling away when the door swung open and the diminutive form of Buffy stepped in. She stopped, looking almost unsure of herself when she saw the way Dawn and Harold were grinning at each other. The Hospital Wing currently had a very 'private joke' atmosphere to it and Buffy felt uninvited. Then the attention was suddenly spotlighted on her.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to barge in, I just wanted to make sure everything was ok."

"I'm fine Buffy," Dawn said, hopping off the bed and showing her sister the little band-aid on the inside of her elbow. "See? All patched up and everything."

Harold stepped forwards then, extending a hand to the Slayer. "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to speak properly last night. Harold Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said warmly.

Buffy smiled back, careful not to put too much Slayer enthusiasm into the handshake. "Buffy Summers. It's really great to meet you."

There was a moment of semi-awkward silence during which Dawn watched Harold and Buffy contemplating each other. Buffy was the first the shrug her shoulders casually and break the silence.

"So… I hear you guys have been taking care of Dawn for a while now. Thank you for that," she said in a soft, sincere voice.

Harold winked at Dawn before replying. "I can honestly say the pleasure's been ours. We've never met a girl quite like Dawn, I couldn't think of a better addition to our family."

Dawn's eyes glowed with the compliment.

Completely disarmed by Harold's strong emotional bond with Dawn, Buffy began to babble like she hadn't done in years. "It's just – it's a huge deal to take a whole extra person into your family. It changes your whole home and you have to worry about food and clothes and like a bajillion other things. Not to mention looking after them and disciplining them, keeping them safe. That part's always a really big thing, especially for a girl whose full name should be Dawn's-In-Trouble-Must-Be-Tuesday-"

"Hey!" Dawn burst in, offended. "I resent that."

But Harold was chuckling delightedly, looking between the two sisters. "I can see you've got the idea about what it takes to care for someone, Buffy, but I can assure you it's a labour of love. Even on Tuesdays."

Buffy blushed. "Of course – I didn't mean-"

"I understand," Harold smiled. "But now I really must be getting back to the office before Mad-Eye sends out a search party."

"Yeah, Dawn, I came to walk you to breakfast, everyone's waiting for you. Plus you need something in your stomach before classes… and is that a candy bar wrapper?" Buffy said, abruptly changing tact as she caught sight of the silver foil and what looked to be a quill wrapped in cellophane in Dawn's hand.

"It might be," Dawn mumbled, putting her hand behind her back.

Harold tutted and shook his head very convincingly. "Spoiling your breakfast like that, Dawn, shame on you."

Dawn's jaw dropped.

* * *

"What are you up to this time?"

At the voice, Sirius and Remus both stopped short. They turned with some difficulty due to the heavy crates of butterbeer I their arms and stared blankly at the speaker.

"What makes you think we're up to something?" Remus asked semi-politely.

Sirius, however, only gave his brother a short, "What's it to you, anyway?"

Regulus shrugged. "Nothing. Thought you might've had enough excitement for one week is all."

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look. How did he know about Voldemort's recent attack on the school, and the Marauders' involvement in the skirmish?

"You go on ahead," Sirius said grimly and Remus departed for Gryffindor Common Room without another word. Sirius set his crate down and crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at Regulus so hard the three inch difference in their height seemed doubled.

"What?" Regulus scowled.

Sirius didn't move a muscle except to speak. "Tell me everything."

"About what?"

"You know what, Reg," Sirius snapped. "About the attack – about Voldemort."

He felt a momentary swell of compassion watching the shudders run through his younger brother at the mention of 'Voldemort', but held firm. He couldn't help Regulus being in Slytherin, his easily-swayed mind surrounded by pureblood fanatics, but Sirius would be damned if he let his brother slip into that darkness without a fight.

"I don't – I don't know anything. Really," Regulus insisted, but his grey eyes had shifted to the floor and he was scuffling his feet.

"You have to tell me."

"No I don't!"

Regulus glared up defiantly, but the moment he caught Sirius' gaze he was trapped. He couldn't look away, no matter how much he knew he should, and he couldn't lie.

"Did you know Voldemort was going to attack the school?" Sirius asked with an even, deliberate tone.

"No," Regulus said, his voice pleading with Sirius for understanding. "Not until after… I heard some people talking about it in the Common Room. they said Dumbledore had blocked the entrance they'd let them in through and they didn't know if they could find another."

"But they're going to try," Sirius filled in.

Regulus nodded. "They said they have to, said it was their duty. Might not be any time soon, but I think they're determined enough to find a way eventually. You know they will, Sirius."

Sirius felt the weight of dread settle in his stomach. Regulus was right. Voldemort wasn't finished with Hogwarts, he and his Death Eaters would be back. He made a move to grab Regulus, then thought better of it.

"Reg… Who was it?"

He just looked balefully at him. "You know. Think about it," he said and hurried away.

"Regulus, wait!" Sirius yelled. "Tell me who it was! Did they ask you to do anything? You don't have to follow them! You don't –!"

But Regulus was gone. Sirius swore under his breath and stood there for a moment. Then he hefted his crate back into his arms and set off quickly for the Common Room. Remus had taken the Marauders' Map with him and Sirius didn't know if Filch was still prowling around the seventh floor, or if he was close enough to catch him out.

When he arrived with the last of the butterbeer the party was already in full swing. Lily had put on a CD with her spell so that people could dance, but the redhead herself had since trapped Spike into a conversation in a quiet corner. James was watching jealously as Lily babbled relentlessly at the vampire, peppering her conversation with questions faster than Spike could answer them. Meanwhile Myrtle, who everybody was surprised to see actually show up (Sirius realised he now owed James five galleons on that bet) was trying her best to distract James, but her efforts were going to waste. James was staring right through Myrtle to Lily. Remus had collared Peter and with his help had rounded up the Scoobies to introduce to Hagrid.

"Tha's quite a grip yer got there," Sirius overheard the half-giant comment as he shook Buffy's tiny hand.

"Nice suit," Anya said loudly, taking in Hagrid's brown, somewhat furry clothing. "Reminds me of the time a woman wished her unfaithful husband would turn into a yeti…"

Sirius deposited his crate on the table next to the one Remus had left and pulled the lid off. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Trent and Walker, the two sixth years who had given Dawn alcohol at Gryffindor's last party, had just discovered that their alcohol stash had been plundered. He didn't have time to gloat, however, as a pair of smooth arms had just wrapped around his midsection from behind.

"You're late," a voice purred in his ear.

"Couldn't be helped, my love," Sirius replied as Dawn sidled around so that they were face to face. "But with you looking like that, I'm regretting it already."

Dawn blushed, making her face seem that much more feminine set within the frame of soft ringlets she'd curled her hair into. Sirius handed her a bottle of butterbeer after twisting the cap off for her and the pair plunged into the crowd together to mingle among the friendly faces.

Soon enough, though, they separated to enjoy the festivities in their own ways. Dawn ended up dancing in the throng in the dead centre of the Common Room with Alice. Sirius, meanwhile, had joined Willow and Peter to listen with a mixture of amusement and fear as Xander and Anya squabbled over the extent to which Anya's more gruesome vengeance stories were acceptable party conversation fodder.

The argument ended abruptly when Anya threw up her hands in frustration, screamed, "What does it matter to you what I talk about? It's not like we're engaged anymore!" and she and Xander stormed off in different directions.

Sirius and Peter looked faintly embarrassed, but Willow just shrugged and smiled reassuringly at the boys.

"Don't worry, they do that all the time. And trust me, it's a lot less scary than watching them when they were actually together."

"Oh. I just thought she must always be like that," Peter blurted, eyes wide as he watched Anya furiously pulling the cap off a bottle of butterbeer as if she was ripping Xander's head from his shoulders.

Willow burst into a little fit of giggles at Peter's statement and quickly put her hands over her mouth to try and stem the flow. Sirius watched her in awe. Looking at the redhead right now he was reminded forcibly of a pixie, nobody would ever guess the power that lay hidden within her. Nobody would suspect her corruptibility. Willow noticed the way he was looking at her and stopped laughing.

"What's with the serious-face… Sirius…" she trailed off, wrinkling her nose at the sound of her sentence.

"I was born with a 'Sirius' face," Sirius chuckled. "It goes with my 'Sirius' name. But seriously," he too wrinkled his nose, "I was just thinking that you actually remind me of Dawn."

"Because nobody would guess that we both have all this power that we may or may not be able to control?" Willow guessed.

"You know about the…?"

"Portal-opening blob of green energy?" Willow supplied. "Well, yeah, I was kinda there when it all went down."

"But what about the Fidelius Charm?" Peter said, finding his voice again after a good, hard think about what he'd said that Willow had found so amusing which failed to produce any results.

"The fiddly-what?"

"Fidelius. I guess it doesn't cover out-of-dimensioners, then," Sirius shrugged, then turned to explain to Willow. "Dawn went under a Charm so that only people she personally tells will know about… the energy thing. It's an extra precaution so that Voldemort can't get his filthy hands on her."

Willow's face brightened with interest at the concept of such a complex charm and listened avidly as Sirius obligingly filled her in on every detail he knew about the Fidelius. When her curiosity was satisfied, Willow let Sirius fall silent and watched him, watching Dawn. She was on the move through the crowd, recruiting bodies to beef up the dance floor. It didn't take her long to get Xander and Anya up, as well as James and Remus, but Buffy and Giles both declined in favour of remaining by the fire, speaking in hushed tones. Willow's lips twitched as Dawn marched determinedly towards Spike and Lily.

They couldn't hear what was being said, but Spike was vigorously shaking his head and after a few moments more wasted on him Dawn turned her efforts to Lily. Lily looked apprehensive, but she didn't notice that Spike's attention had wandered to the hazel-eyed boy desperately coveting Lily from within the crush. A slow smirk spread over the vampire's face. He turned and spoke to Lily, who turned cherry-red and nodded, and a heartbeat later Spike was leading her by the hand to the dance floor while Dawn dusted her hands off and moved on.

It wasn't long before she had Hagrid up and shaking so enthusiastically he'd knocked Candice sprawling into Trent, who looked like he couldn't believe his luck. She reached Willow, Sirius and Peter at last and smiled her most un-disappointable smile. Sirius smirked.

"What do you want, baby?"

She pouted and looked between the three of them. "Dancing now?"

Willow shook her head. "No shaking and shimmying for me tonight, Dawnie. You guys go on ahead, I'm going to see what Buffy and Giles are up to over there. Plus, it looks like they have candy."

Peter, too, looked as if he was about to beg off, but Dawn quickly latched onto his hand and deepened her pout a few notches.

"Come on, Peter. I know you'd just hate to see me disappointed. I want to see all Marauder bums out there and shaking it!"

Sirius went to protest, but Dawn kissed his cheek. "I promise I'll only be looking at yours."

"Well… That's all right then. So, what's the best part about my bum, then…?"

They left Willow giggling as they moved on to dance, Peter looked dumbstruck that Dawn still had a hold of his hand, but reality came crashing back in the moment Dawn dropped him to wrap her arms around Sirius' neck. He'd been forgotten once again.

Willow sidled over to where Buffy and Giles had just fallen into silence. Buffy's eyes were glued on Dawn as if she'd only just noticed the girl for the first time, nobody seemed to notice just over Dawn's shoulder that Spike had just spun Lily right into James' unsuspecting path and melted out of sight. Both teens were so frazzled by the set-up that they simply began to move together, completely silent and in a strangely synchronised way.

A bittersweet smile was gracing Buffy's features as she watched Dawn swaying gently in Sirius arms. It was hard to deny she looked like she belonged there, in fact, Dawn had looked perfectly at home everywhere she'd moved tonight, and with everyone she'd spoken to.

"She looks beautiful, doesn't she?"

"She's not a spaz anymore," Willow agreed sentimentally.

Giles raised his glass in silent agreement.

"I missed it," Buffy said softly. "She grew up and I wasn't there. I let her be dead."

Neither Giles nor Willow knew what to say. Buffy's eyes had misted over.

"I don't know if I can bring her back."

* * *

"This is neat," Willow giggled as she and Giles rode the moving staircase to Dumbledore's office. "I wonder if there's a way to make it go faster."

"Well perhaps you can ask Professor Dumbledore," Giles suggested.

The Professor in question was waiting for them as they stepped into his office, immediately offering them the comfortable chairs across from his desk. Willow shifted, feeling a little unnerved at the prospect of being summoned to the Headmaster's office, even after all this time. And even though there was no Principal Snyder to worry about now. Giles couldn't help but consider how much more pleasant such an experience was without the toadstool-like face of the frustrated little troll scowling across the desk at him. As if sensing that Giles had questions before they began, Dumbledore leaned back and smiled his invitation for the Watcher to speak.

"Have you discovered the reason Voldemort attacked the school, yet?" Giles began.

"I believe I have, Rupert," Dumbledore said with a nod. "You see, Tom Riddle has always had his own reasons for wanting access to Hogwarts and there is no need to bore you with such details. I believe his stint earlier in the week was merely Voldemort's way of testing the waters, as it were, to see how far he could get undetected. I do not believe he was aware of the added protection you and your young charges offered, for which I am most grateful, I might add."

"You are most welcome," Giles assured him. "I do believe Buffy said the skirmish was just what she needed. But are you certain Voldemort's only motive in infiltrating the castle was to merely see if it could be done? It seems a rather foolish battle plan."

"Quite understandable. Perhaps Voldemort places too much confidence in his ability to gain access to the castle again. But he brought only a fraction of his followers, and all were obviously equipped and ordered to abort the moment things turned against their favour, and this tells me he was not looking to lay siege to the castle," Dumbledore said, his voice firm with his conviction.

"But, Professor Dumbledore, why did he want me to turn dark then?" Willow piped up. "And I couldn't really keep up with things when I was busy being the girl in the protective bubble, but it seemed like he wanted James and Sirius to join him… And something about Dawn, too."

Dumbledore smiled at the girl's endearingly mousy ways. He'd insisted that the Scoobies were all welcome to use his first name, but Willow had yet to do so. None of the others seemed to have any difficulty in adjusting to it, Xander had most delightfully taken to calling him Abe, but to Willow he was still strictly Professor Dumbledore.

"James and Sirius are, you may have noticed, two boys with considerable talent for their age. They are also naturals when it comes to leadership, Voldemort no doubt would delight in turning the potential they display from good to ill. Dawn, on the other hand… Having had her kidnapped so easily in a moment of weakness, I believe Voldemort has underestimated her worth as a witch. He may not understand the art of love himself, but Voldemort recognises how to use the love of others against them. Sirius and James both love Dawn dearly in their own way, if her life depended on the grace of Voldemort then neither boy would dare ever defy him."

Giles was nodding thoughtfully, but Willow's nose had wrinkled.

"What about me?" she asked. "You didn't answer that part of the question."

"I'm honestly not sure," Dumbledore answered frankly. "It is possible Voldemort had designs on controlling you as well, or he may have just wanted a, how do you say it? A wild card."

Willow looked down. She hated the thought that others may be trying to unshackle Dark Willow forever, but even worse was the thought that Dark Willow would always be within her to unleash. Giles patted her hand.

"But let's prove them all wrong, shall we?"

Willow looked up to see the old wizard smiling at her.

"What if I can't do it?"

"Then we will help you, Willow. You worked very hard to gain the control you needed to open a portal here, I trust you have been keeping up with your meditation in your free moments while you've been here?" Dumbledore asked, and Willow nodded.

"Excellent." He placed a candle on the desk. "Light the candle with your magic. Breathe, feel the power within you, in relation to you, but keep sight of that division between the magics and yourself."

Willow gave him a funny look.

"The power is yours, but the magic is not," he explained. "Wicca draws the magic from the earth as opposed to witchcraft and wizardry studied here at Hogwarts, where the magic comes from within. A Wiccan is simply more predisposed to recognising and even manipulating the magic of the earth."

Willow cocked her head to the side, thinking. "So, I couldn't use a wand, then?"

"Oh, you could," Dumbledore chuckled. "But the potential for chaos would be great enough for me to seriously dissuade you from attempting it. Now, shall we turn to the task at hand?"

He indicated the unlit candle and waited for Willow to ready herself. The first time she tried to use her magic to light the candle, the wick sparked for only a second and failed to catch.

"Don't be afraid, Willow. Fear will only hold you back."

The second time Willow tried, a great fireball erupted from the candle, leaving a lot of smoke and a melted puddle of wax on Dumbledore's desk. Willow covered her face in shame.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, really."

Giles coughed and started to climb to his feet; he and Dumbledore both having thrown themselves to the floor to escape the flames. "It's alright, Willow. Take your time," Giles said in his worn, soothing voice.

Dumbledore, too, had returned to his seat and did not seem to mind in the least that the ends of his long beard had been singed. "Not to worry, dear, that rather reminded me of one of Fawkes' more exuberant burning days. Phineas was never quite the same, even after he was restored…"

Giles and Willow both gave him curious looks, but he was absorbed in clearing up the mess and conjuring a new candle. "Don't forget that division between you and the magic, Willow. Never lose sight of that."

She worked hard on controlling the magic and with only a few intense sessions of working together, Dumbledore announced he thought the Wicca was fit to open a portal back to Sunnydale.

"Do you really think I'm ready for that?"

"Yes."

"Oh, good, because, you know, I don't think I'm ready for that," Willow babbled. "I think I'm going to lose control and send everyone to the world of shrimp. Or turn them all into shrimp. Or get them stuck half way. Or –"

"You will not!" Dumbledore said, his voice seeming to fill the whole room.

"Ok," Willow said, thoroughly abashed.

"I wouldn't recommend you do anything I thought would be too dangerous, it would be negligent and irresponsible of me. But the longer you delay this test, the more daunting it will seem. I sincerely believe it is best for all involved that you and your friends return to your home as soon as possible."

"All involved?" Willow frowned.

Giles, however, nodded in understanding. "Dawn."

"Yes. The decision she must make is too heavy a burden for someone so young to carry for so long," the Headmaster fretted.

"I don't think it's the burden of her decision troubling Dawn so much, but rather the burden of trying to make her decision known," Giles suggested.

Dumbledore's smile was not quite as joyful as it usually was. "I see your skills of observation well befit your occupation as a Watcher, Rupert."

* * *

"It stays light so late here. It's trippy, I bet the vamps hate it," Xander commented.

"And for the first time ever, I'm sure Spike would agree with you. You know, if he wasn't trapped up in the castle trying to hide from Lily," Dawn countered. It was nearing eight o'clock in the evening, but the Marauders were laying in the grass underneath their tree, sharing the lingering sunlight with Buffy, Xander and Anya.

"She'll eventually remember she's got studying to do, won't she?" Anya piped up. "It's not healthy for a badass vampire to spend full days at a time hiding under a bed."

"Funny, though," Xander said. "And it keeps him out of trouble."

"Speaking of trouble…" Remus muttered, looking at a group of students stalking over the grass, black cloaks wrapped ominously about them.

Dawn groaned. "Who knew Slytherins could stand sunlight?"

James and Sirius had pulled their wands out and were beginning to rise, but Dawn and Remus' looks fixed them firmly in their places. For now.

"Keep it cool," Dawn requested. "Don't start anything."

"We won't _start_ it," James muttered.

The Scoobies were all looking at each other with confusion. They'd heard the rivalry between these two groups was not unlike Spike and Angel at their most childishly competitive, but didn't really believe anything in the world could be that bad. There wasn't even a hellmouth here. Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Snape stopped a few paces away and sneered down at the group.

"Well that explains the stink," Bellatrix laughed. "Lucky Evans isn't here too, we'd have trouble breathing through all that then."

Rodolphus and Snape laughed loudly. Almost reluctantly, the Scoobies followed the Marauders to their feet. James already had his wand aimed, but Dawn held him back. Her eyes were on Buffy, who was casually examining her fingernails.

"I think you're going to have trouble breathing in a minute," the Slayer said. "You know, when I shove your wand down your throat so far you have to crap it in one go."

"I don't know if that would work," Anya threw in thoughtfully. "I mean, there's bound to be splinters."

The Marauders and Xander snickered. Both the Slytherin boys looked more offended by the fact that a pair of filthy muggles had the audacity to insult a pureblood witch than horrified at the images both Slayer and Vengeance Demon had just conjured. Snape had pulled out his wand, an angry flush interrupting the sallow pallor of his face. James still had his wand in hand, too, and was grinning devilishly.

"You want to be careful, Snivellus," he said loudly. "If you don't behave, we'll sic Dawn on you."

Snape's lip curled back in disdain. "How chilling. And what would make you delude yourself that that could concern me in the slightest?"

"Well of the three of you standing there, she has already smacked two of you down," Remus couldn't help but point out.

"What?" Buffy wheeled around to glare at Dawn, who cringed. "You so better not have fought like a girl!"

Dawn shrugged sheepishly. "I won, if that makes it better?"

"It's a start," Buffy said grudgingly.

Bellatrix was shaking her head in disbelief. "Stupid muggles. Can you believe them?"

"I don't think I like that word," Buffy said softly.

"What; stupid?" Xander asked. "Don't take it personal, Buff, it's just cause of, you know, the whole 'blonde' thing."

But Buffy had drifted forwards a few steps, her impassive face turned up towards Bellatrix's, several inches higher than her own. "No, not that. Muggle. See, I thought muggle meant someone without magic. Am I right?" she asked a sneering Bellatrix, who found herself compelled to nod by the sense of power emanating from the diminutive woman.

"Right. Well, here's the problem; I'm not a muggle. Anya, would you class yourself as a muggle?"

"No way," Anya snorted. "What kind of stupid name is that, anyway?"

"You lie," Rodolphus blurted. "You ought to be killed for blasphemy – besmirching the honour of all that is magical with your filthy muggle blood. As if the Mudblood there wasn't insult enough to Wizard-kind."

"You son of a bitch," Sirius growled, but Xander cut him off.

"Ok, you don't look real bright, so I'm gonna help you out a bit here. One: you shouldn't have called them liars. Two: you probably shouldn't have mentioned violence. Three: you _really_ shouldn't have insulted Dawn and I'll dry-wall you into the next century if you ever do it again. And four: who the hell talks like that, anyway? Besmirched?"

Bellatrix looked down her nose at Xander as if he was something foul she'd just stepped in. "Anything else?" she asked disdainfully.

"Yeah, you might want to lay off the dark eye shadow, kid," he retorted, before adding in a stage whisper, "It makes you look cheap."

Bellatrix flushed in fury as the Marauders laughed. "You don't want to mess with me," she threatened.

"You're right," Buffy agreed. "I'm bored already. Get gone."

Snape's eyes were glittering with the challenge. "And if we don't?"

"I knew you'd push it," Buffy sighed. "Anya, why don't you show El-Cheapo, Bruiser and Slimer here exactly how not-muggle you are?"

"I was so hoping you would say that," Anya said with a gleeful, almost childlike clap of her hands.

She morphed into her demon visage, her skin wrinkling as if she'd been burned beyond recognition. The Marauders themselves were a bit unnerved, Peter squealed and ducked out of sight behind the tree, but the shocked horror on the faces of the three Slytherins was even better than Buffy could have imagined. She and Dawn were exchanging satisfied smirks as Bellatrix, Snape and Rodolphus backed up and hurried away. Nobody seemed to notice they'd rushed straight past Willow and Giles, on their way down to meet the group.

"See," Buffy grinned at her sister. "You don't always need violence to solve your problems."

"Yeah. Sometimes the convincing threat of it works just as good," Xander chipped in.

"What's going on with you guys?" Willow asked as she and Giles arrived on the scene. Anya hastily slipped back into her human features.

"Just impressing the locals," Buffy said.

Giles fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Honestly, you lot, I leave you alone for five minutes and you threaten a group of fifteen year-olds."

"But they started it," the chastised Slayer whined at her Watcher.

"Are you, or are you not, an adult?"

"So, Will, how was the magic control session?"

Giles simply shook his head in amusement and let Buffy get away with changing the subject. Willow's earlier nervousness returned the moment Buffy mentioned her magic, the redhead began to fidget at once.

"Um… good, I think. Or so Professor Dumbledore thinks, anyway. He said I can open the portal now, and he thinks we should do it tomorrow night," she announced.

Dawn felt all colour drain from her face, and Sirius took her hand to rub his thumb over her knuckles. Everyone had gone suddenly quiet and looked at Dawn. She found herself catching Buffy's eye without meaning to.

"Well, Dawnie? What's it gonna be?"

Dawn picked Sirius' hand up to kiss the back of it, then pulled herself free. She turned fully towards her sister.

"I think we should talk," she said quietly.

Buffy's eyes filled with pain, but also with understanding. "Yeah."

* * *

It was the Scoobies' final dinner in the Great Hall, but Buffy and Dawn were nowhere to be seen. Sirius and James seemed worried, their heads were swivelling around to the doorway every other mouthful until Giles discreetly caught their attention.

"Give them time," he said softly. "This is the last conversation they'll ever have."

Both boys nodded and settled down at last. They couldn't imagine what it would be like if Dawn had chosen differently and they were currently spending their last few moments ever with her. Sirius began to wrap up some dinner for Dawn. She wasn't going to be hungry for days, but with any luck maybe he could get her to eat a little something. As the meal was drawing to a close, Professor McGonagall leaned over and tapped her spoon against her crystal goblet a few times, calling all attention up to the Head table.

Professor Dumbledore was on his feet, beaming around at everyone. "Well now, as you all know these last few weeks have been brightened by the presence of a group of charming guests of Gryffindor. But all good things must come to an end, and our new friends must depart for home this evening. We wish you the best of health and happiness in your lives," Dumbledore said, smiling and raising his goblet to the Scoobies.

Giles inclined his head in appreciation before the Headmaster continued, this time addressing his students.

"I would like to thank those of you who took special care to make our guests welcome, or to otherwise entertain them," he said almost cheekily.

"I wonder if he means the party or the Slytherins," Remus commented idly.

"Probably both," James snorted.

"I don't know – I thought Malfoy pissing his pants was pretty entertaining," Spike commented.

"What?" the Marauders, Lily and the Scoobies all burst out at once, far too loudly.

Spike just grinned nastily. "Taught the boy a thing or two about being on the other end of torture and humiliation."

The others just stared at him.

"Excellent," Remus said briskly. "Let's hope he remembers it."

Sirius and James were sharing grins just as nasty as the vampire's. "We'll make sure he never forgets it."

The Great Hall cleared out fairly quickly, but the Scoobies and Marauders all loitered in order to say their goodbyes. Peter hung in the background shyly, not really expecting anyone to bother with him because nobody usually bothered with him. He was just there, or not, and it didn't seem to make a difference. He was surprised when Anya popped up right in front of him.

"I've decided I like the hugging thing," she announced and threw her arms around his thick shoulders. "Bye. I'll send you some shrimp if I can."

Peter blushed and awkwardly patted her back. "Thanks. Bye, Anya."

She let him go and made her way around the other boys and Lily, stopping last before Sirius. She was smiling brightly and Sirius was a little intimidated by the look on her face.

"You know, I think it's great that there's love and good sweaty sex between you and Dawn and all," she said in her usual, far-too-loud voice.

It was one of the rare occasions when Sirius blushed. Giles was furiously polishing his glasses while Remus and James just about died laughing. Even Lily giggled, but Peter had looked away moodily and Spike was glaring very hard at Sirius.

"Er… Yeah… thanks, I try," Sirius mumbled.

"But if you screw up and make Dawn need me, I'm going to take whatever horrible thing she wishes on you and make it ten times worse. Got it, bucko? Ok, take care!"

Sirius had been hugged by the Vengeance Demon before his mind had even finished processing all her threats. More to try and move past the social barricades Anya's behaviour tended to throw up than anything else, Giles moved in and began a round of handshakes, wishing the teenagers well. Willow followed him up with a chaser of tight, squeezing hugs.

"It's been so great meeting all of you," she smiled.

Sirius grinned back at the likeable, pixie-ish woman. "Take care of yourself, Will."

"You take care of her," she responded.

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" he half-groaned. "Don't you trust me?"

James snorted. Sirius ignored him.

"It's not that," Xander began, at the same time as Spike piped up with a, "No, not really."

"Shut up, Spike," Xander continued without missing a beat. "It's just that we all had a hand in on raising Dawn somehow, Sear. It's like we wanna keep checking that she's in good hands while we still can."

Sirius nodded. "She is."

Both he and James gave Xander brotherly hugs, then the brunette muggle shook hands with Remus and Peter. "I have to say it – you kinda remind me of Oz," Xander couldn't help but tell Remus.

Spike arched an eyebrow. "I don't do goodbyes."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a poop-head, Spike."

"Poop-head?" he repeated mockingly, but Willow only shrugged. "Oh piss it. All right, I'll say the bloody goodbyes."

He shook Remus and Peter's hands almost sullenly, but managed to spare a grin when he reached James. "You're alright, kid."

James smirked. "Right back at ya, Spike."

Spike and Sirius stared at each other for several long moments, neither wavering. It reminded Sirius of the night Spike had discovered him and Dawn sleeping together in the Room of Requirement, and just as on that night, Spike eventually nodded his head in acceptance. He extended his hand and Sirius took it without either of them needing to say a word.

Lily blushed slightly and looked down when Spike reached her. He lifted her chin with his finger, and Lily saw a wicked little smirk cross his face. Before she could be sure of what had happened, he had swooped in and laid a sound, but ultimately innocent kiss on her unsuspecting lips.

"OI!"

Spike looked at the outraged James and shrugged. "Sorry mate, but it had to be done."

He looked back at Lily, who was now blushing even more furiously than before. "Don't ever settle for second best, Lil' Red. You deserve the bloke who worships you."

Lily nodded dumbly, she couldn't help being confused by the I-know-something-about-you-that-you-don't-even-know-yet glint in Spike's eye. Xander finally broke in on the strange moment, shaking his head at Spike.

"God, Spike, can't we go anywhere without you making an ass of yourself?"

"Funny, Chubs, I was gonna ask you the same thing."

* * *

Dawn and Buffy were sitting together on the couch in Buffy and Spike's Common Room. Uneasy silence hung between the pair as both struggled to find somewhere to begin.

"I still can't believe all this has gone on," Buffy finally said, almost numbly.

"It's been a hell of a year," Dawn sighed.

"Emphasis on the 'hell'," Buffy muttered, but noticed that Dawn couldn't agree. "You're really happy here, aren't you?"

"I am. I have missed you, though," Dawn promised.

"I know."

The sisters were looking fully at each other now, almost waiting for some invisible signal for them to start crying.

"It's not safe here, you know. Dawnie, that Voldie-Mart guy – "

"I know," Dawn interrupted, trying not to laugh at the way Buffy mangled 'Voldemort' into sounding a bit like a 'Wal-Mart' rip-off. "But would it be any safer for me in Sunnydale?"

"I could protect you there."

"I'm protected here. And I'm finally learning how to protect myself. Don't you want that for me, Buffy? It's like, for the first time ever, I actually like the person I can see myself growing up to be."

That was Buffy's cue to cry. "And you're going to be beautiful, and powerful, and I wish I could be with you to see it."

Dawn, crying too, threw herself into a hug. "I so wish there was a way to keep you with me forever. There's been so many times this year when all I wanted was for you and Mom to be with me, to get me through…"

Buffy sniffed, trying to pull herself together. "But you got through just fine on your own. We're always with you, Dawn, and we'll always love you."

Dawn nodded. She knew it was all true. As long as she had them safe in her heart, it would be ok. She bravely attempted to smile. Buffy squeezed her hand.

"Listen, Dawnie, you and Sirius… You're pretty involved, huh?"

Dawn nodded.

"You love him?"

"Yes."

"Are you careful?"

"Every time."

"You know that sometimes, young people, when they feel so strongly… they can make mistakes, Dawnie. No matter how you feel about someone, sometimes things can go wrong," Buffy said warningly.

Dawn sighed. "Believe me, I know. Buffy, uh, I've never mentioned this before now but Sirius and I actually broke up once. It was only for like a month, but it was the worst pain I've ever been through this side of having someone I love die. Now that I've got him back and we're happy I'm _never_ going to make the same mistakes again. And I know he won't either."

"Dawn…" Buffy began, but Dawn wasn't finished.

"So please don't worry that this is just some little high school crush that'll be ancient history in a few months' time. It's not. It's the real thing. And don't think that I can't handle it, because I know how badly things can go wrong. I know what sort of mistakes you can make, because I've already made them."

Buffy just smiled tearily. "I was afraid you'd say that. You went and grew up when I wasn't looking."

"People do that…"

"Yeah…"

They knew it was nearly time to go, but neither wanted to be the one to say so. Dawn reached into her school bag and took out something wrapped in simple red paper. She handed it to Buffy.

"To remember," she explained. "I have one, too."

With a curious look at Dawn, Buffy unwrapped the gift. She gasped. It was a small photo album, the front cover fashioned out of wood. Down one side a heart with a stake had been burned into it; opposite was the Gryffindor emblem. It was filled with moving pictures of the Scoobies and the Marauders together at the party; Buffy vaguely remembered one of the girls from Dawn's dorm running around with a camera. There were also a few of Dawn from earlier in the year, Christmas morning at Godric's Hollow and playing in the snow with the boys.

"How did you do this?"

Dawn smiled, pleased Buffy seemed to like it. "I just asked Michelle for copies of her pictures, and Dad sent me the albums. Mine, uh, has the Potter crest on it, too."

Buffy smiled sadly, perusing the album more slowly so she could savour each photo. The very last one had been enlarged; the two sisters with an arm each around each other, grinning and blowing kisses at the camera. After a few last moments, the girls slowly walked down to the Entrance Hall where the Scoobies were waiting with Dumbledore. The Marauders had been sent back to their Common Room a few minutes earlier so as not to intrude on the farewell. Dumbledore smiled gently at Buffy and Dawn.

"Shall we?"

Buffy looked around. "Here? We're going to do it here?"

"No, no, I thought perhaps the Astronomy tower. Miss Rosenberg's things are already set up there, and I thought it would be the most prudent place to relax the wards so the portal may open more easily," the Headmaster explained.

They went up to the Astronomy tower, and Dawn noticed that the sunflower marking the point where Isabel had jumped was still up on the high turret, as bright as it had ever been. Both she and Dumbledore paused a moment to consider it while the others moved straight to the circle of black candles already set up for Willow. Everyone stood around awkwardly, not sure where to begin.

There was so much Dawn wanted to say to them all; she wanted to apologise to them for choosing to stay, she wanted to thank them for understanding and she wanted to say a million and one random, stupid things that would never be said if she didn't say them right now. But she couldn't speak. She had to settle for hugging everyone as tightly as she could manage, hoping they could feel how much she loved them through her touch.

When Xander finally prised Anya's arms from around Dawn's neck, Dumbledore pulled her back out of the way and the Scoobies gathered inside the circle. Willow was sitting cross-legged in the centre, meditating and finding her focus. After a few minutes, she began to chant quietly and steadily.

The others watched in fascination as Willow's chant gathered momentum and the air began to crackle around them. Willow's hands shook with the strain, but she stayed in control. The air tore. Dumbledore put his hand on Dawn's shoulder, partly to keep her away from the danger zone and partly to comfort her as dry, shuddering sobs began to rip through her.

The rent in the air slowly got bigger and bigger until it was large enough for a person to fit through. Willow opened her eyes to look at Giles and nod; he shouted, "Go!" over the howl of the wind.

Anya and Xander dived through first, then Spike tried to swagger through with his trademark strut. Dawn felt a stray giggle burst out of her when she heard the completely uncool cry of, "Bloody hell!" echo back as the vampire was sucked into the portal. Then Giles was gone, too, and Buffy was helping Willow to her feet while the Wicca concentrated on keeping her chant alive.

They paused on the brink, Buffy looked back and lifted a hand in a final farewell to Dawn. Then she and Willow were gone and the portal flickered and died as if the air had been knitted back together.

Dawn sagged, Dumbledore couldn't hold her up so he helped her down onto the stone ground and sat beside her. They passed a few minutes in silence while Dawn pulled herself together. Dumbledore seemed to instinctively know that she wouldn't be comforted by any wisdom he had to offer and didn't want to impose his thoughts onto her grief. He stood up and moved about the Astronomy tower, muttering to himself as he reactivated the wards he'd taken down around the area.

He paused to look around the tower, using his senses to double-check that he hadn't missed anything. When he turned around, Dawn was standing behind him.

"Are you ready to go, Dawn?"

She attempted a watery smile. "Ready when you are, Professor."

The outmatched her smile by far with his own. "Very good, I shall escort you back to Gryffindor tower. I must say, I am glad to be leaving the Astronomy tower behind," he commented, guiding her towards the stairwell.

Dawn frowned and twisted to look up at his grave, contemplative face. "Why is that, Sir?"

"I do not know," Dumbledore said simply. "I have just never particularly liked this part of the castle. It has always given me a - how do you say it? – ah, yes, a wiggins."

**

* * *

**

**A.N:**I hope everybody enjoyed that. Let me know what you think! XX


	40. Brick In The Wall

**Disclaimer:** Still own nothing. All things Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Joss Whedon, while all things Harry Potter belong to one JK Rowling. Brick in the Wall is by Pink Floyd.

**A.N:** I had hoped to give everyone a Christmas present of the updating variety, but as usual my horrible job got in the way. Hope everyone had a wonderful festive season anyway. And I should warn you, this chapter heavily references the chapter 'Snape's Worst Memory' from Order of the Phoenix. It's not an exact replica, because that was too boring to do and I was too lazy anyway, but there are strong references to it and some parts are directly used. Of course I don't own them. Love you all! Only two chapters to go after this one! Enjoy! XX

PS- Sorry Kat- I had issues getting to work... note to self: don't try updating during planned maintenance times, life is good atm XX00

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

**Brick In The Wall**

_Thoughts are hazards in the classroom…_

As OWLs loomed closer than ever, the fifth years began to react in different ways. Peter became even more jumpy and nervous than usual, he tried to study in the Library a few times but Lily persuaded Madam Pince to ban him because he kept knocking things over. Lily herself would sleep and eat in the Library if she could get away with it, and her usual load of books had quadrupled in size. James and Sirius were the polar opposite to Lily – they still openly ridiculed the idea of actually cracking a book for anything other than a prank. Despite the interruption of Dawn's family's visit, and a few days of grieving and moping after they left, she and Remus managed to stick to their study schedule pretty well. Most afternoons after classes the pair could be seen at a table in the Common Room, working steadily until it was time for dinner.

Dawn focused most of her energies on the first exam – the most daunting, for her – Charms. In her Career Advice meeting of months long past, Professor McGonagall had strongly recommended she pay particular attention to her weakest subject if she wanted to qualify for the NEWT classes to become an Auror, and she was determined to make it. she'd systematically run through Levitation Charms, Silencers, Loudeners, Locomotors, Repairers, Invisibilities, and Banishments (James had got the shock of his life when his smelly socks had been Banished to the other side of the Common Room with his feet still in them) and was now working on her Summoning Charm.

Her eyes roved the Common Room, searching for a target. She found one; her face twitched into a dangerous smirk.

"That look always worries me," Remus commented.

Dawn stared at him incredulously. He hadn't even glanced up from his Arithmancy text.

"How did you –"

"I just do, Kitten."

Dawn giggled, then returned her attention to her task. She ran through the spell's properties in her mind and took steady aim with her wand.

" _Accio, chocolate frog!_"

The chocolate frog that Sirius was raising to his lips flew out of his dumbstruck hand and into Dawn's. She smiled and raised it in mock salutation before taking a big bite.

"Oi!"

With a laughing James in tow, Sirius stormed across the Common Room to Dawn and Remus' table. He swooped down and ate the remaining frog's legs out of Dawn's hand, then pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

"Mmm- chocolate boyfriend," Dawn murmured.

"Kinky girl," Sirius whispered back.

"Eew, vomit," James groaned, flopping into a chair.

Remus just flipped his textbook shut. "I used to be studying."

"Come on, Moony," James said, punching his shoulder. "You've been studying for at least twenty minutes, you'll wear yourself out if you don't take a break."

Remus shook his head. James had propped his feet up on the desk, his dirty shoes right on top of Dawn's books but Dawn hadn't even noticed. She and Sirius were far too wrapped up in ideas of chocolate and kissing. The portrait squeaked open and Peter tumbled through, a cluster of books falling around him. Dawn and Sirius broke apart and looked around, and James hastily took his feet down and jumped up to help Peter before Dawn could belt him.

"Tigerlily get you booted from the Library again?" he asked sympathetically, pulling Peter out from under the book avalanche.

Peter nodded glumly. "Least she didn't throw anything at me this time."

"Ah well, Wormy, it's nearly time for dinner, anyway," Sirius consoled, pulling away from Dawn to try and steer Peter back out of the Common Room.

But Peter stepped back, staring at his feet. "I – I can't, Padfoot. I have to study."

James and Sirius both scoffed. Peter went very pink. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes from his shoes.

"I have to. I'm not – not like you lot… Smart, I mean. I'm going to fail," he whispered.

Sirius snorted at the concept of a Marauder being a failure. Peter would scrape through – he always had.

"You won't fail!" Dawn announced loudly. She glared at Sirius and James. "It's all right for you two smart arses who've never had to crack a book in your lives, but some of us really do have to try."

They both stood there in silence, properly chastised. Dawn went to Peter, who had looked up at last and was gaping open-mouthed at her.

"Peter, you're not going to fail. None of us are. I don't care if you have to study with me and Remus twenty-four-seven between now and Monday, we'll make sure you get through."

He smiled a tiny smile, still not sure he was going to pass, but thrilled and determined to do his best because Dawn thought he could do it. She was beaming at him, her whole face alight with the smile.

"Shall we put in another half hour before we eat?" Remus proposed mildly.

Sirius groaned, seeing his prospects of having both an early meal and Dawn slipping away before his eyes. "How could this possibly get any worse?"

Dawn pointed her wand at his pocket without even looking around. "_Accio, chocolate frogs!_"

The last four of his stash flew into her hands and Dawn shared them between herself, Remus, Peter and a tiny, tiny first-year who happened to be walking past.

"Can't have study without a snack now, can we?" she grinned at her two study partners, still not even bothering to glance at her boyfriend.

Sirius was bowled over by Dawn's behaviour. James was watching him curiously, almost shrewdly as he waited to see how Sirius would react to this newer, more assertive version of his girlfriend. Then Sirius smirked and made his move.

Dawn felt him before she heard him coming. He stood behind her and crouched down, his body close and his breath warm on her neck. She shivered despite herself, and knew Sirius had felt it.

"You're so sexy when you're playing the Ice Princess, Summers. It makes me so hot," he breathed in her ear.

Dawn shivered again. She turned her head to look at Sirius at last, her face dead straight but the colour high in her cheeks. There was a gleam in her eye he'd never seen with quite so much intensity before.

"Go to dinner, Sirius."

He blinked in surprise. She hadn't been the one to melt. And for some reason, he loved it. Before she could protest, he stole a rough kiss from her lips and collected James to head out to dinner. Dawn refocused on Peter and Remus with some difficulty.

"So… Where do we begin?"

Remus smiled placidly. "You know something, Kitten? I think you and Padfoot were less disturbingly intense when you were just shagging each other senseless all the time."

Dawn flushed, but she couldn't disagree. The weekend passed in just the same fashion; nobody caught a glimpse of Lily during the Library's opening hours unless James went in to annoy her so much she had no alternative but to leave for an hour at lunchtime; James and Sirius' most academically-minded endeavour was to charm Snape's books to spontaneously combust or hurl themselves at his head at random intervals; the other Marauders kept to their rigorous study schedule.

Dawn found that tutoring Peter helped soothe her own nerves about the Charms exam – helping him made her realise how much she really did know her stuff. And 'helpful' didn't even begin to cover Remus' influence – even if he hated the thought of it, but he was a born teacher. On Sunday night, all the fifth-year Gryffindors congregated in the Common Room after dinner. There was not a trace of a textbook in sight, it was as if they all knew the time for study had passed. It was one of the rare occasions when Candice, Michelle and Lily all joined Dawn and the boys, they all tried their hardest to think about anything but OWLs, but all they could talk about was the troop of ancient-looking witches and wizards who had arrived shortly before dinner; the examiners.

"They looked mean," Peter fretted.

"They looked senile," James snorted. "Ten galleons says at least one of them croaks before the end of the week."

"I'll take that bet," Sirius piped up, and they shook on it.

"Honestly, Potter, how can you even suggest that the Ministry would send incompetent examiners?" Lily said, but it was with only a half-hearted snap before she went right back to chewing her nails.

Sirius grinned. "Good point, Tigerlily. They probably won't be incompetent, but I bet they could definitely be bribed."

"You think?" Peter asked, his ears perking up.

"All the Ministry bigwigs can be bought," Candice said wryly. "Half of them buy their way into the Wizengamot, my Grandfather's always full of stories about corruption and conspiracies at Christmas dinner."

Remus waved a hand. "Come on, you lot. None of us are going to need to bribe them, anyway. It's probably time we went and got some sleep, anyway."

"But Moony," James whined. "It's only ten-thirty. Five more minutes?"

Dawn giggled; Lily did her best not to. She, Candice and Michelle said goodnight and went upstairs, but Dawn hung back to say a proper goodnight to Sirius after the other boys had departed. He rested his hands in her shoulders, massaging them like a trainer warming up a fighter about to step into the ring.

"Get some rest, baby. You're ready for this, you'll be fine," he whispered.

Dawn nodded, but Sirius could tell she was worried. But before he could offer any more comfort, Dawn had kissed him, whispered that she loved him, and flitted upstairs. Sirius went to his own dorm and got ready for bed with the other three Marauders. They talked for a while, but half an hour later they turned the lamps down and disappeared behind the bed hangings. Sirius kept a small lamp burning at his side, he wasn't tired yet. He was propped up against the headboard, flicking through some of his favourite passages from the Shakespeare book Dawn had given him for Christmas.

He was just starting to get drowsy when he heard the soft click of the dorm room door being eased open, then closed again. A moment later his bed hangings parted and Dawn crawled up onto the mattress next to him. Her eyes were wide, fearful, and her face was ashen. Sirius put his book aside and smiled reassuringly at her.

"It's only OWLs, Kitten. You've faced worse before."

She nodded, but her eyes filled with tears and she sniffled. "I know. I just –"

"No," he cut her off. "I know you're worried, but no. If you get all worked up now, you'll never get a good night's sleep, and I'm not going to let you undo all that work now."

She laid her head against his shoulder. "You're too good to me."

"Not really," he chuckled. "I just refuse to let all that time you spent studying that I could've been doing naughty things to you go to waste."

That made Dawn giggle. She climbed under the covers with Sirius and, relaxing in his arms, fell into a restful sleep.

* * *

She wished she hadn't eaten so much breakfast. The four and a half mouthfuls of cereal Dawn had forced down were churning in her stomach, threatening to reappear at any moment. she and the rest of her classmates were loitering outside the Great Hall, waiting to be admitted to their first OWL exam. With them were the seventh-years due to start their NEWTs, Frank and Alice were standing with the Marauders, but nobody was making any effort to talk. A few feet away, Lily was so pale she looked as if she was about to faint. She swayed on her feet once, James grabbed hold of her elbow.

"All right, Evans?"

She stared at him for a moment as his words sank through the layers of spells and definitions clouding her brain.

"Fine, Potter, thank you." Her voice was slightly clipped, but from then on she appeared to be a little more together.

As the clock hit nine-thirty, McGonagall swept out of the Great Hall and ordered them in, class by class. Alice smiled brightly as the seventh-year Hufflepuffs were called, then squeezed Frank's hand and disappeared. A minute later, Frank was following her.

"Good luck," Dawn called.

"Don't sweat it, Summers," he returned. "You'll be brilliant."

"Thanks, Frankie," she smiled, but her stomach was still flip-flopping all over the place.

James threw an arm across her shoulders and grinned. "Just so you know, if you throw up in the Entrance Hall before the damn thing even begins, I will have to disown you."

"Thanks, James."

And then they were ushered in to the furthest row on the right. Dawn reluctantly stepped away from James and let go of Sirius' hand to take her seat with Michelle in front of her and Sirius behind. Hestia Jones was in the seat on her left, when Dawn realised this she almost groaned out loud. She would rather have been put next to a Slytherin – hell, even Bellatrix! – than a Ravenclaw in an exam. Everyone knew Ravenclaws were know-it-alls.

McGonagall went through the standard pre-test rituals – fill in the answers, get caught cheating and Merlin save you – and then the giant hourglass at the head of the room had been turned over; their two hours had begun.

Dawn was half way through her paper before she even paused for the first time. Whether it was all that study paying off, or just sheer dumb luck, she actually knew all the answers if she put her mind to the task. A couple of the questions had been really tricky for her, but she was pretty sure she'd scraped at least a couple of marks from them. She finished just as McGonagall announced there were only five minutes remaining, decided against rechecking her answers, and then had to spend the rest of the exam trying not to fidget too obviously. She was in the second seat from the front, so all her friends were behind her; she was dying to see how they were going but wasn't about to risk the wrath of McGonagall.

Finally, the last few grains of sand trickled through the hourglass and, once their parchments were collected, they were dismissed.

"Nailed it," was the first thing James said as soon as they had cleared the double doors.

Sirius and Remus nodded their agreement. Peter chewed his lip.

"I think I did… ok."

"I bet you did," Remus assured him. "With tutors like yours, you can't fail. Kitten, how'd you go? You looked pretty happy with yourself."

"I guess," Dawn shrugged. "I mean, no real dramas. I'm sure I didn't fail, but I don't know if I did good enough for…"

They all nodded; they knew she wanted to be an Auror almost as much as her brother did. Seeing Buffy again only seemed to further consolidate Dawn's ambition. All the other students were dispersing as there was still almost an hour until lunch so the Marauders went back to the Common Room to relax in preparation for the afternoon's practical test.

The House tables were back in place so the school could eat, and this time Dawn managed a whole sandwich and even a handful of fries before the fifth years were all herded into a little chamber beside the Great Hall. Then she wished she hadn't been such a pig; the feeling of being in a holding cell at an abattoir waiting to be herded onto the killing floor was making her insides squirm. They were called back into the Great Hall in groups of five, always in alphabetical order, and Dawn debated changing her name to Potter for the duration of the exams just so she wouldn't have to wait all alone once her friends had been called in.

Sirius, being a Black, was called in with the second group. He winked at Dawn, shoved past Bellatrix, and strutted right in for his practical test. Lily was next to go, then Remus, and when Peter and James got to head in together, Dawn went into a serious pout about the injustice of it all. And, to top it all off, she was in the same group as Severus Snape and his stupid little comments about the audacity of Mudbloods to suggest they were worthy of even sitting for OWLs. She debated telling James or Sirius, but they didn't seem to need any encouragement to pick on Snape, so she just hissed a, "Drop dead, Snivellus," at him and drew her wand pointedly as she passed.

McGonagall ushered her to the first available examiner, a witch with silver hair who looked kind of like a wrinkly sausage dog. She nodded curtly at Dawn as an appraisal form with Dawn's name already printed on it materialised before her.

"Summers?"

Dawn yipped, then blushed, and then nodded.

"Don't be nervous, Summers," the examiner said, but her clipped tones and rigid mannerisms didn't put Dawn even slightly at ease. "If you'll turn around and look towards the far end of the Hall, you'll see that there is a table holding five coloured batons. Can you see that?"

Dawn spun around to see, then turned back to nod.

"I'd like you to summon the red one."

Dawn took a deep breath. She'd rather summon chocolate, but she could summon this just as easily. Her eyes zeroed in on the red baton and her wand came up.

"_Accio, red baton!_"

it started out strong, but began to falter in the middle of its journey. Dawn could feel the sweat beginning to pepper her forehead, but held firm to her wand and willed the baton to make it. It dropped sharply a couple of feet away from her, but thanks to Dawn's reflexes she managed to snatch it up before it got anywhere near the floor. She turned and hastily put it on the examiner's table, hoping the old sausage dog witch couldn't see how badly she was sweating. But the sausage dog was as straight as ever in her seat, Dawn wondered if she would even blink if she had set fire to her baton instead of summoning it (which she was secretly very glad she had managed to avoid).

"You may go, Summers."

Dawn's jaw dropped a little. "That's it?"

"Yes."

She didn't need telling again. Dawn bolted from the Great Hall and collided with Remus, who happened to be waiting for her too close to the doors when she burst through them. They knocked heads and bounced backwards like wayward dodgem cars, both yowling in pain.

"Bloody hell, Kitten," Remus moaned. "It wasn't that bad, was it? Anyone would think you'd been tested by V-Voldemort himself."

"Don't say that," Dawn grumbled, her eyes still watering from the pain. "If you're not careful, you'll make me start to be grateful for the sausage dog lady."

* * *

"_We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control_," Lily sang to herself on Wednesday afternoon as she went through some last minute preparation for Thursday morning's Defence Against the Dark Arts exam. Wednesday was the Divination exam, which only Dawn, Sirius and James – er, Potter – took, but Lily had the Common Room to herself. Candice and Michelle were in the dorm, relaxing, and Lily had the distinct impression that Remus was doing his best to keep Peter out of her way. Maybe it wasn't fair for her to keep throwing things at him every time he made too much noise – at least when she threw things at Potter, he was quick enough to duck.

"_Thoughts are hazards in the classroom…_"

There was a loud fake gasp behind her.

"Lily Evans, you take that back this instant!" Dawn giggled, having stopped just inside the entrance to the Common Room.

'Brick in the Wall' had become the unofficial theme song for the fifth- and seventh- year Gryffindors during their study for OWLs and NEWTs, it had been playing in practically a continuous loop for days on end. It was only when James and Sirius had taken to bellowing, "Hey, teacher! Leave us kids alone!" at random Professors that Lily decided she should put that particular CD back in the bottom of her trunk.

"Hey," Lily grinned. "Didn't expect you to be back first."

Dawn shrugged and plopped down on the couch. "They can tell when you're not faking it, I guess. All they did after I read the crystal ball was flick through my Dream Journal for a bit and then they sent me away."

"And the other two?" Lily prompted.

"When I left they were still making up random crap about cheeseburgers and killer whales. Somehow I don't think either of them will be taking NEWT level Divination," she snorted.

"Looks like you'll be taking that class on your own next year, then."

Dawn bit her lip. "Actually, Lil, I was thinking I wouldn't take it at all."

Lily gasped and slammed her textbook shut. "But you're so good at it – you're bound to get an O. Why would you want to drop it, Dawn? I thought you knew better than to follow Sirius around like a brain-dead little puppy – you're far too smart for that!"

Dawn just waited patiently for Lily to finish her lecture. Interrupting Lily was almost as impossible as interrupting Professor McGonagall. Almost.

"I'm not acting like a brain-dead little puppy," she pouted. "Just because I'm dropping Divination at the same time as Sirius probably will, doesn't mean my decision's got anything to do with him. Or James, for that matter. I haven't even told them yet. But I owled Mom Potter when I was thinking about all this and she agrees with me – there's no point in taking Divination next year. I don't need some stupid class to tell me how to have prophetic dreams and if I want a shot at being an Auror, then I'll need more study time for the subjects that really matter."

"Oh." Lily looked down. She hadn't realised Dawn had put so much thought into her decision. She should have known better – Dawn had done a lot of soul-searching and a fair bit of thinking about the direction of her life in the past few weeks.

"Yeah," Dawn said, as if it was a conclusion. Then she smiled and nudged Lily's arm. "What do you care, anyway? According to you, Divination is about as useful as unicorn poo."

"Actually, the properties of unicorn faeces have been known to… Oh, ha, ha."

"So you're saying unicorn poo is _more_ useful than Divination, then?" Dawn laughed.

Lily blushed. "No, it's not that! I mean, you had those dreams that warned us Voldem-mort was in the castle, and when… When Isabel was in danger… I'm not saying Divination is useless, Dawn, really. But Professor McGonagall says-"

"_Silencio!_"

Lily, silenced, glared at Dawn.

"Sorry, but I had to stop the motor-mouth somehow. Relax already, Lils, I'm just kidding. I think it's safe to say that any reference I make to unicorn poo is not meant to be taken seriously."

She lifted the Silencing Charm and Lily rolled her eyes. "Do you ever get the feeling that we're a bit odd?"

"Just a bit?" Dawn laughed. "Come on, let's check out a few more of those Defence Against the Dark Arts practice questions."

The girls worked steadily through the sets of questions they'd been given in class to help them review; the Professor had mentioned that they were a sample of questions based on previous OWL exams and would give them an idea of what to expect. They were heatedly debating the ideal sized tank for a fully grown Grindylow when James and Sirius returned at last. Dawn opened her mouth to ask them what had taken them so long, but didn't need to once she caught sight of their bulging pockets. Either Honeydukes or Zonko's (probably both) had had some unexpected business that afternoon. The Three Broomsticks, too, by the looks of it. Both boys were swigging from bottles of butterbeer.

"You're going to get caught one of these days, and I'm going to laugh," Lily said warningly.

James laughed. "Bet you dinner and a movie we last until the end of the term without getting caught."

"Not a chance," Lily muttered.

"Why?" James challenged, his hazel eyes sparkling. "Afraid you might actually have a little fun? Don't worry, Evans, a gentleman never tells."

Lily let the obvious shot about his claim to gentlemanliness slide, but tossed her hair over her shoulder and stared coolly at him. "No – but why in the world would I waste my time making plans when there's no way in the world I would ever follow through with them? And I thought you'd learned to control this little habit of yours," she said pointedly.

James felt the heat rise in his face. After Isabel's funeral, he'd sworn to Lily – hell, he'd sworn to himself! – that he would stop asking her out like this. He'd tried. He'd tried so hard to make himself give up, but it was just never going to happen.

"Some things can't be controlled, Evans," he said shortly. "No matter how hard you try."

A little embarrassed, and feeling that they shouldn't be listening in to this conversation, Dawn looked at Sirius.

"It's dangerous, running around Hogsmeade like that," she said softly. "You know it is."

He grinned and delved into his pocket, trying to buy her off with a heart-shaped Honeydukes chocolate. Dawn took it gratefully and kissed his cheek, but still fixed him with a look that demanded an explanation.

"We stick together, Kitten, I swear. Marauders' honour," he grabbed his left butt-cheek. "It's not like we're going to run into Voldemort strolling down Main Street in the middle of the afternoon, anyway."

"How do you know that? He might – Voldemort wants you on his side, Sirius. And James. And once you disappear through those passageways, you're not safe. The castle is the best place for us to be right now, where Dumbledore can protect us. And even here we're not a hundred per cent sure, it's too big a risk."

From the way Sirius was looking at her, Dawn realised she was nagging. Just a bit. She ducked her head sheepishly.

"I just worry."

"I know, baby. It's ok," he said, looping an arm around her shoulders.

Meanwhile, James and Lily were still arguing.

"What do you mean, 'some things can't be controlled'?" Lily demanded of James, hands on hips. "What a cop-out, Potter, that's just a pathetic excuse to try and get away with acting like a pig-headed git."

James shoved a hand through his hair, leaving the already messy strands even more jumbled. "That's not what I meant, Evans, and you know it. I just meant I can't help myself when I'm around you. Merlin, Evans, you have to've figured that out by now. It's just you."

James looked remarkably calm (though very red-faced) for what he'd just decided to spill. Lily's hands shook; in contrast to James she looked very ashen.

"Don't you dare blame me," she hissed. "Don't you dare tell me it's my fault you can't control yourself. Grow up, Potter. I'm going to dinner, are you coming Isa-"

Lily tossed her head to the side and choked on the name. For a moment, things had seemed so _normal_ that she expected Isabel to be right by her side. She'd forgotten… Dawn and the boys were staring at her. They looked shocked, even a little scared.

Lily gathered her dignity, straightened her shoulders and met all their gazes head-on. "I'll see you at dinner," she said and walked out of the Common Room.

She was quiet and withdrawn all through dinner, and it was the first evening in well over a month that she didn't spend hitting the books in the Common Room until most of the House had gone to bed. She disappeared up to the dorm as soon as she had eaten, not that she had actually eaten much at all. Dawn followed soon after. She left the boys downstairs (reminding James that a stag climbing the girls' stairs while the whole House was still up and about would be way too conspicuous) and went straight over to Lily's bed.

Lily had left her shoes on and the bed-hangings open, her red hair was splayed messily across the pillow as she stared up at nothing, her gaze not quite focused on anything in this world. Dawn plopped down next to her and waited to see if Lily would react. She didn't. For a long time the girls just lay in heavy silence, then Dawn squeezed Lily's hand.

"What's going on, Lil?"

Lily shook her head, when Dawn glanced at her face she realised the Prefect looked disgusted with herself. Her green eyes were murky with self-loathing. Dawn's brain scrambled for something to say, but she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. When her Mom had died, Tara had given her a little talk about how nobody would know exactly what was going on inside her head, but that didn't mean nobody understood. There was just something about grief no matter how it manifested itself – it would always be personal, and it would always be universal.

"It doesn't make you a bad person, you know," she finally said. "Whatever you were thinking, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you."

"I forgot," Lily said, the word escaping her lips as a growl from deep in her throat. "She was my best friend, and she died, and I forgot. What kind of person could do that?"

"A person who cares," Dawn whispered. She'd lost count of all the people she'd lost, and the amount of times she'd opened her mouth to speak to someone who was no longer there. "When you said her name today, it wasn't about forgetting, it was about remembering."

"How do you figure that?" Lily said dully.

Dawn sat up, squeezed Lily's hand one last time, and slid off the bed. "Because it means she's still with you."

She walked away, leaving Lily to think it over.

* * *

They were assigned different seats for their Defence Against the Dark Arts exam; the Gryffindors were scattered through the middle section of the Hall, near the back exit. Dawn grinned, she was sitting next to James this time, Peter was somewhere behind her and Sirius was four seats back from James. Sirius winked at Dawn as they sat, and a couple of seats diagonally beyond him, Remus grinned.

Professor Flitwick was supervising this time – they could barely see him in amongst the sea of desks as he squeaked that they could begin and used his wand to turn the large hourglass over. It was the easiest exam they had taken so far, a mix of questions about dark creatures and recognising curses or the theory of counter-curses, hexes and jinxes. But it wasn't as technical as the Charms, Transfiguration and Potions exams needed to be, nor was it as mind-numbingly dull as a History of Magic exam.

Dawn and James finished at the same time. Dawn spent a few minutes revising but quickly gave it up, she was confident with her answers. She grinned at James, who was doodling on a scrap of parchment he'd produced from Merlin-knew-where (knowing him, he'd torn it off the edge of his exam paper or something), by the time Flitwick called out a five-minute warning he'd almost finished a picture of a Snitch. Flitwick moved away from their section and as soon as it was safe, Dawn and James shared another smile and looked over their shoulders. Sirius, leaning his chair back on only two legs, shot them the thumbs-up and they turned back to the front before Flitwick could catch them out. James went back to his drawing, Dawn fiddled with the feathered end of her quill and pretended not to watch him as he finished off his Snitch and scribbled a certain pair of initials, which he began to decorate elaborately. Dawn bit her lip, feeling for her foster brother. She knew he was worried about Lily, and she knew he didn't know what to do about it, and she hoped against hope that it wouldn't be something completely stupid that would put even more of a strain between the pair.

Then Flitwick was calling for quills down and when he used "_Accio!_" to collect the exam papers, the force of over a hundred rolls of parchment colliding with his outstretched arms knocked him flat on his back. James started to laugh, but choked it back quickly. Dawn had her not-amused face on, her wand was already drawn and pointed straight at him. When they were dismissed, the Marauders congregated around James and Dawn's desks before pushing out towards the Entrance Hall.

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" Sirius asked, smiling knowingly.

"Loved it," Remus said, all business. "'Give five signs that identify the werewolf.' Excellent question."

James widened his eyes for effect. "D'you think you managed to get all the signs?"

Remus considered the question gravely. "Think I did. One: he's sitting in my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin…"

James and Sirius joined in the laughter Remus couldn't hold back any longer and Dawn, smiling broadly, squeezed his arm. After everything, it was nice to see him trying to accept himself again; it was only a small joke, but it meant a lot to Dawn. Peter hadn't laughed, he was chewing his thumbnail.

"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail, but I couldn't think what else-"

James rolled his eyes. "How thick are you, Wormtail? You run round with a werewolf once a month-"

"Keep your voice down," Remus hissed, Dawn and Sirius both thumped James in the arm.

"Fine then," James grumbled, turning on Dawn. "How about you, then, Miss Kitten-With-Her-Claws-Out? What was your favourite question, as if we couldn't already guess?"

Dawn smirked. Her favourite had been the last question, an eight-inch short essay on any particular dark creature or band of dark creatures. "I just hope I did the Order of Aurelius justice in only eight inches," she quipped as they hit the open air of the castle's front steps.

"I did Giants," Peter piped up.

"Chimaera," Sirius threw in.

"Grindylows," Remus admitted, surprising them all by not going with the obvious choice for him.

"Snivellus," James said casually.

The others looked at him.

"Well, he is a dark creature," James insisted.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. Dawn let out a long-suffering sigh that sounded something like 'boys', but as they reached the grass she realised that she'd left her Transfiguration notes in her dorm. She stopped and pulled her hand out of Sirius'.

"I'll catch up with you," she said. "I've just got to get my stuff from the dorm."

"Want me to come with you?" Sirius offered hopefully, spying an opportunity for some impromptu 'alone time', but Dawn shook her head.

"I won't be long," she called.

She got a few steps away before whirling back to kiss Sirius' cheek, then headed back to Gryffindor tower alone. There were a few seventh-years in the Common Room studying and Dawn stopped to spend a minute catching up with Frank before she went to grab her notes for Transfiguration. It was well into Spring, and quite warm, so she didn't hurry back to the grounds.

When she reached the stone steps once more, she could see a cluster of people around the Beech tree the Marauders usually liked to hang out beneath; it looked as if most of the year had flocked there. The sounds of laughter and cheering reached her ears and Dawn smiled as she began to cross the lawn.

"Wonder what they're up to this time," she murmured affectionately.

Then the sound of shouting filtered back to her.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Dawn paused. That was Lily's voice, she didn't even have to think to know who the Prefect was shouting at… And she'd bet the farm she could guess what it was about, too. Dawn's eyes frosted over and she marched determinedly forwards to add to whatever rant Lily had launched into. Random shouted words in James and Lily's voices echoed back to her as she approached.

There was a yelped "NEVER," from James, followed eventually by a "SICK," from Lily, and finally a futile "Hey, EVANS!" as Lily stormed off.

The two girls crossed paths a little ways beyond the remainder of the crowd around the boys. Lily's cheeks were flaming and her eyes were still flashing dangerously.

"I don't know why I bother sometimes!" she said shrilly.

Behind her there was a bang and a flash of light: Snape was hanging upside down in mid-air, his robes falling around his head and showing a pair of the oldest, rattiest, greyest underpants Dawn had ever had the misfortune to see. Her eyes narrowed and she patted Lily's arm absently.

"I'll take care of this," she snarled, pushing into the crowd as Lily continued back towards the castle.

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?" James called.

"What the hell is going on here?" Dawn screeched.

There was instant silence. James and Sirius wiped the smiles from their faces and ducked their heads sheepishly. With a hasty flick of James' wand, Snape crumpled back to the hard ground. He staggered to his feet.

"One day, Potter," he hissed.

"Get gone!" Dawn snapped without even looking around. She was still glaring very hard between James and Sirius.

Snape gathered his things and slunk away, the crowd finally disintegrating in his wake. Sirius chanced a look up at Dawn, but quickly looked away when he caught the hard fury in her eyes. The boys braced themselves for the onslaught, but the three words she came out with hit them harder than if she had screamed at them for an hour.

"You disgust me."

She walked away, heading around the side of the castle to a deserted courtyard. Still fuming, she huffed and plopped down on a low stone wall to cool down. Her bag fell to the ground, the forgotten Transfiguration notes poking out of the opening. She groaned and rubbed her temples. Why did she have to get so mad at them? Why did they have to be such jerks? She knew it was only natural for Gryffindors and Slytherins to fight (hell, she'd had more than her own fair share of rounds with Bellatrix), it was like cats and dogs, Angel and Spike, Anya and normal people. But that didn't give the boys the right to pick on Snape when he was practically defenceless.

Dawn had been sitting alone, thinking, for a few minutes when a pair of shoes scuffling against the cobblestones warned her of someone's approach. It was Sirius. He stopped in front of her, scrounged up as much courage as he could, and looked at her face. She crossed her arms and gazed coolly back.

"I'm sorry, Dawn," he began. "I know you're disappointed in us, but I hate it when you're mad at me. I'm really sorry."

"Technically, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Dawn replied evenly.

Sirius' whole face screwed up like he'd swallowed a lemon at the implication that he owed Severus Snape an apology. Dawn's lip quirked, but she managed to bite back the smile. Sirius sighed.

"Come on, Dawn. we both know I can be a right git, but there's got to be something I can do to make it up to you. I'd do anything to make you smile at me. I'll… Want me to kiss your feet? I'll kiss your feet if you want," he offered hopefully.

Dawn arched an eyebrow. "Whatever."

He dropped to his knees on the hard cobblestones and pulled the shoe and sock off her right foot. She tried to look disinterested, but had to smile to herself as he took her foot in both his hands and kissed his way along the topside. After a minute, he paused to gauge her reaction.

"You like that?"

"I don't see how this is making up for what you did," Dawn said in a breathy voice.

"You love it," Sirius decided, grinning and returning to his work.

Dawn didn't say anything. She was still mad, but that didn't mean she was about to lie so she couldn't contradict Sirius' statement.

When Sirius figured he was off the hook, he stretched up to kiss Dawn's mouth, but she folded her arms and looked pointedly away.

"Still mad at you," she said shortly.

Sirius frowned. "Hmm," he muttered. "I can see you're going to make me work for it this time."

He sank back down to the ground and took her foot up once more, but this time he didn't stop there. His lips tickled her ankle and his hands massaged her calf muscles when his mouth began to travel up her shin. Dawn couldn't help but giggle, but it quickly dropped into a moan when he reached her thighs, running his hands up the outsides of her legs. Running on instinct, she leaned back and braced her hands against the stone wall to lift her hips slightly. Still kissing her thigh, Sirius began to peel her underwear off, agonisingly slow.

Click, click, click…

They both froze at the sound of concise footsteps tapping their way. Panicked, Dawn pushed Sirius away and sat up, blushing. Her underwear was still midway down her legs, she pulled her skirt down hastily to cover them, but Sirius was still sprawled at her feet when Professor McGonagall arrived on the scene, looking as stern and scholarly as ever with her arms laden with scrolls.

Dawn whimpered as the Deputy Headmistress peered down her nose at them. "What are you two doing here? You should be heading to the Great Hall, lunch is about to start."

"Oh, um…" Sirius scrambled to his feet, trying to look as if there was nothing out of the ordinary about him having been on the ground in the first place.

"Miss Summers, why is your shoe off?"

"Uh… Bug bite!" Dawn yelped.

Then she cringed as McGonagall stepped even closer to study her foot and hastily tucked her skirt in around her legs. Behind the Professors back, Sirius winked at Dawn, who glared back.

"I don't see any bug bites here," McGonagall said, a suspicious edge creeping into her voice.

"No," Dawn squeaked. "I thought it was a bug bite, but when Sirius took a look just now, he said it was only a pebble and threw it away."

"I see. Well, get down to the Great Hall, the both of you. You have your practical exams right after lunch, and Merlin help you if you're late for that, bug bite or not."

The Professor swept away without another word, when he was sure she was out of earshot Sirius burst out laughing. Dawn huffed and hurriedly redressed herself. She did not look even faintly amused, the colour was high in her cheeks and her eyes were flashing with frustration.

"Come on, baby," Sirius chuckled, reaching out a hand to her. "You've got to admit, that was pretty funny."

Dawn just hitched up her underwear, snatched up her bag, and shoved Sirius away from her as hard as she could.

"Now I'm really mad at you," she snapped, stalking away.

"We can finish this later," he called hopefully to her retreating form.

* * *

**A.N:** Yes, I am evil. How did you know? XX Anoron 


	41. Smells Like Teen Spirit

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing (still). All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon just as all things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. Smells Like Teen Spirit belongs to Nirvana… and a whole generation of teens in the 90's. But legally, Nirvana.

**A.N:** SO SORRY! It's been months and I'm a horrible author, I know! But this renting business is harder work than you'd think, with the bills and the cleaning and the spending time with housemates who never leave you alone long enough to write, and then the uni starting back up… Anyway, I really appreciate the support throughout this whole story. Thank you all so much, you've kept me going, and now there's only one chapter to go! Oh my God! The end is nigh! And then I'll have to get cracking on that sequel I've promised. It's been a helluva ride, I'm so glad you've all shared it with me. XX00

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

**Smells Like Teen Spirit**

Dawn still hadn't forgiven Sirius and James by the time the next full moon rolled around. Picking on Snape had made her angry, but after she and Sirius had almost been caught in a very compromising position by Professor McGonagall when he was trying to make it up to her, she had been livid. She was civil to both boys, but barely so. None of James' jokes could draw even the tiniest smile from Dawn, and Sirius wasn't allowed to lay a hand on her for nine days straight.

As the sun sank below the horizon on the night of the full moon, Dawn smirked evilly at Lily, who pressed her lips together to try and pin back the smile. This was the boys true punishment; Sirius was frustrated to the point of insanity with Dawn's refusal to let him touch her in any way (she'd quite spectacularly sat him on his backside when he'd casually tried to slip an arm about her waist on day five). And both girls knew that Padfoot was bound to very violently take his anger out on Prongs that night. And Moony, confined to the Shrieking Shack for the duration of the full moon once more, wasn't likely to let up on either of them for most of the night. Remus had promised so.

Dawn and Lily spent their homework-free evening playing Wizard's Chess and listening to music in the Common Room, which was always quieter than usual when the male Marauders weren't about. They settled into bed at about eleven, leaving their hangings open so they could chat until sleep slid over them.

"So, you are going to let them off the hook in the morning, aren't you?" Lily yawned. "You've been tougher on them this time than even I would be. Well done."

"Oh, depends on how bruised they are," Dawn said airily. "Although I have to say, who knew withholding sex could be such an effective way to control men?"

Lily laughed. "Well I don't have that card to play myself, so I guess I'll just have to stick with the yelling next time they do something moronic."

Dawn couldn't help but laugh, too. "What are you on about, Lil? You're permanently withholding sex – just ask James!"

"Oh, shut up!" Lily pelted a throw cushion at Dawn's head and yanked her curtains across.

"'Night, Lily," Dawn called sweetly, receiving only a muffled, "Screw you," in response.

Dawn woke up early the next morning, showered and dressed in the bathroom while the other girls were still sound asleep, and was waiting in the boys' dorm when three of them limped back in. Remus had been taken to the Hospital Wing by Madam Pomfrey while the others had watched from beneath the Invisibility Cloak. Peter looked exhausted, Dawn bet he'd spent the night scrambling for cover, he only grunted at her and stumbled right to bed. Sirius and James looked much the worse for wear – there was a cut on James' cheek and Sirius' lip was beginning to swell already. They stopped short and stared at Dawn, perched on the edge of Sirius bed. She paused a moment, then stood up and walked a few steps closer.

"Rough night?" she asked, her expression giving nothing away.

"Makes you say that, Kitten?" James lobbed back in a dry, tired voice.

And at long last, Dawn smiled just a tiny bit at him. "No reason. Learned your lesson about being horrible buttmonkeys yet?"

Both boys gaped. The second she'd spoken those words, it had dawned on them exactly what she'd done, how she'd set them up to punish each other for her.

"You little witch," Sirius muttered.

James just shook his head. He'd been played, well and truly, and he was too tired and sore to hesitate in admitting defeat. "This round to you, little sister."

He went to bed without another word. When they were alone, Dawn lifted a hand to inspect Sirius' lip, but he stepped deliberately away from her reach. She blinked. Her script said he would leap enthusiastically into her arms, apologizing a thousand times over and begging her to forgive him.

"Hey, don't think you can get away with playing me like that, Dawn," he snapped. "I'm not a bloody puppet, you know."

Dawn went crimson, her hand dropped back to her side and she turned to slink out of the room in defeat. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but Sirius had never snapped at her like that before, not when they were together. Maybe she needed to reconsider the brilliance of her revenge scheme. But before she could escape, Sirius caught her wrist.

"Oi, what are you doing?" he blurted.

Dawn looked back at him. "But you just said–"

"Bullocks to what I just said, baby. Of course I'm your bloody puppet, you can play me any way you want as long as you get your arse back over here and give me a kiss. That was just a lame attempt to try and salvage some of my dignity from the wreckage."

She giggled and turned to slot herself into his arms. She kissed the side of his face that wasn't turning blue-black with what looked suspiciously like a stag hoof imprinted on it, trying to be gentle but Sirius was urging her to up the intensity. When he pulled her down onto the bed with him, she held him at arms' length.

"Baby you need to rest."

"I need to Dawn," Sirius mumbled, but his voice was lazy and his eyes were bleary.

"Rest."

Dawn held firm, and after only a bit of arguing Sirius was snuggling down with her and snoring slightly, the way he always did when he was overtired. She let the boys sleep for a couple of hours, then woke them all and made sure they were at least beginning to move before she went to get some breakfast to share among them.

They were late to Defence Against the Dark Arts, but they were usually late to the first class of the day after a full moon. Besides, it was only ten minutes or so… Maybe twenty. The Professor glared as they trudged through the door, unapologetic, and lounged in the seats Lily had saved.

"Excuse me, you four, where have you been?"

"Sleeping," James shrugged.

"Not on my time, Potter. Don't think you can slack off now just because your exams are finished, remember your final reports haven't been issued yet."

The Marauders nodded obediently and half-heartedly joined in the game of 'Identify that Dark Creature', too tired to make any ruckus about it. Dawn looked across at Lily and rolled her eyes. The redhead was reading a NEWT preparation textbook under the table. Trust Lily to break the rules in the squarest way possible. Dawn took out some parchment and a quill and began doodling aimlessly.

When the bell rang at last and they were all streaming back into the halls, Dawn looked at her friends and gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Why do we even have to show up for this?" she mumbled. "This is valuable lying-on-a-beach-somewhere-doing-absolutely-nothing time they're wasting!"

* * *

"Come on, Dawn," James whined. "It's the last Hogsmeade weekend of the year, we have to do something!"

Dawn held her hands up in surrender. "I'm not disagreeing with you on that, I'd just prefer it if we left the Uncontrollable Bowel Movement Powder out of it."

"B-but we've still got half a packet of it left over from the prank we pulled on the Hogwarts Express over Christmas and it won't keep over the Summer," Peter said.

"So we'll dump it in the Syltherins' food at the Leaving Feast," Dawn argued. "I just don't want to have to ruin a perfectly good pair of shoes getting back to the castle afterwards."

Remus snorted.

"Ok," Sirius relented. "So we'll go with the Gas-Mate potion and we've got three possible targets – The Three Broomsticks, Madame Puddifoot's, and The Hog's Head."

"I think we can leave out The Hog's Head," Remus countered.

"Why?" demanded James.

"Because you and Padfoot are the only dolts in the school stupid enough to go in there," Remus explained mildly.

"Dung Fletcher used to go in there all the time," Sirius argued.

"And if Dung Fletcher threw himself off a cliff, would you follow?" Remus wondered aloud.

"Might throw you after him if you're not careful," Sirius muttered, for which Dawn smacked him and he hastily got the conversation back on track. "Ok, so it's just Puddifoot's and Rosmerta's we'll hit, then. Who wants to do Puddifoot's?"

"Not me."

"No, thanks."

"Hell, no!"

Dawn sighed. James, Remus and Sirius had all leapt right out of the running, leaving her and Peter to tackle the frilly little café themselves. "Fine," she huffed. "At least some of us aren't afraid of a little lace, right Petey?"

Peter beamed.

"Oh, we're not afraid of the lace," James promised. "Just of what it'll do to our manly images."

Peter's cheeks brightened.

"Hear, hear," Sirius chimed in, raising a watergoblet to James' sentiments.

"Well now that I know how you really feel about lacy things, I guess I can cancel that shopping trip to Victoria's Secret," Dawn murmured.

Sirius leaned over and kissed her neck. "I never said anything against_you_in lace, Kitten. Besides, don't they have satin and leather, too?" he whispered.

James rolled around on the floor, rubbing at his eyes and gagging. Peter suddenly seemed very interested in the Honeydukes-wrapper tapestry hanging from the dorm room wall, Remus threw his hands up.

"Why can we never organise anything anymore without somebody grossing somebody else out? Or with Padfoot and Kitten either fighting or snogging… Usually both?"

Dawn and Sirius broke apart sheepishly and James picked himself up off the floor.

"We'll behave now," Dawn promised.

They finished making their plans at last and after breakfast on the final Hogsmeade visit of the year, they sprang into action. Remus and Peter, each with a backpack full of the Gas-Mate potion slipped into the Honeydukes passage to get the not-exactly-permitted substances out of the castle without Filch catching them. Dawn, James and Sirius, however, wandered casually down the drive with the rest of the students. Experience had taught them that five missing Marauders was likely to be far more suspicions than two missing Marauders, especially when James and Sirius were both in plain sight. They met up near the Shrieking Shack and split into their groups before sneaking off to their respective targets. The Three Broomsticks was far busier and much bigger than Madame Puddifoot's so James, Sirius and Remus were taking the Invisibility Cloak with them.

Dawn and Peter, however, were relying on stealth, nerve, and luck. Mostly luck. It was a quirt day at the café, so there were only a couple of young, blank-looking witches holding down the fort. The two Marauders took a seat at one of the tables, Dawn ordered a cup of coffee and Peter a triple-choc milkshake, and for ten minutes they did their best to blend into the sparse crowd while they checked the place out.

Dawn arched her neck to see through the little glass panel in the door to the kitchen, but from what she could see it was empty. The two witches on duty, with nothing better to do, were leaning against the counter, chatting. Dawn nodded her head in their direction.

"Distract them," she mouthed to Peter.

"How?" he mouthed back.

Dawn used her foot to slide Peter's backpack full of supplies over. "Talk – say anything, just keep them facing away from me."

Peter frowned, but finally got up and wandered over to the counter, leaning in a spot where the girls would have to turn away from Dawn, and the kitchen door, to speak to him.

"Uh… Who made my milkshake?" he blurted.

One of them raised a lazy eyebrow. "Why? What was wrong with it?"

"N-n-n-no, nothing," Peter stammered.

"Then what's the problem?"

"No problem," Peter mumbled. "I just wanted to say… That it was good. The best one I've had in ages, actually."

The girls straightened a little and gave Peter their full attention. Dawn didn't hesitate, she slipped behind the counter and darted through the kitchen door, catching it before it could bang closed and give her away. She pulled two bottles of a thin, faintly pink potion from the pack and then took out a syringe. She filled the syringe with the potion and emptied it into the milk bottle, sure no-one would notice such a slight pink tinge in it. She did the same to all the flavouring bottles, then to as much as she could get her hands on in the fridge. That finished, she slipped back out into the main part of the café, crouching behind a ridiculously frilly curtain while she injected all the cheesecakes and tarts in the display window.

She could hear Peter talking animatedly with the two witches about how he understood how unappreciated they must feel in their minimum wage jobs as she packed up the evidence and sidled towards the door, unnoticed. She caught Peter's eye just before she left, and five minutes later he was strolling out to meet her.

"Did you do it?" he asked, his face shining with excitement.

"Yeah- thanks to your diversion. I think I got nearly everything, it's going to be hilarious in there come the lunch rush!"

Peter laughed for a bit longer than necessary, and then they set off to see how the others had fared. They got their answer before they even found the boys – Hagrid was ambling along the street and when Dawn and Peter called out their hellos, Hagrid's reply was a loud belch full of huge orange bubbles. The half-giant threw a hand over his mouth, blushing beneath the forest of hair on his face, and hurried on. Peter and Dawn shared a smirk. The other boys materialised beside them, wearing identical smirks.

"Shall we check it out?" Remus grinned.

They poked their heads through the doors of The Three Broomsticks, burst out laughing, and then pulled away again. There were little clouds of bubbles rising up all over the pub to a symphony of belches. All the colours of the rainbow were being burped by the patrons, who looked horrified, but couldn't speak as every time they opened their mouths they'd begin burping bubbles again.

Dawn couldn't resist sidling up to the window for one last peek at the hopelessly confused look on Rosmerta's face before crashing against Sirius in another fit of evil giggles. When they had all finally calmed down, James dusted his hands off, pleased with their morning's work.

"Well now I'm hungry," he said. "Let's hit Honeydukes."

* * *

They bought bottles of butterbeer and pumpkin juice from the uncontaminated supply at Honeydukes, along with a few bulging bags full of sweets and pastries and made a picnic of it out in the paddock by the Shrieking Shack. It was quiet there – nobody was really game enough to go near 'the most haunted building in Britain', and the Marauders lazed away the hottest part of the late Spring day in the cool grass. They waited until a little of the bite had gone out of the sun before Vanishing their mess and heading back towards the populated areas of the village.

They were talking, laughing, so wrapped up in their own fun that they didn't realise that the side streets and alleys of Hogsmeade, usually bursting with life in the early afternoon, were empty.

It was only when they hit Main Street, a burst of noise in the eerie quiet, that they noticed anything out of the ordinary. There weren't many people outside at all, and everybody was in a rush, students were clumping together like besieged meerkats, there was a weird tension in the air.

"Paranoid much," Dawn muttered, but she herself was starting to scan the street for possible threats.

"Don't like this at all," James said quietly, then he spotted something across the road and bellowed at the top of his lungs.

"Hey, Evans?"

She was just coming out of the bookstore and jumped at least a foot and a half in the air when James yelled, but Lily just settled for a quick glare and hurried across the street to join the group.

"What's going on?" Lily and James asked each other at exactly the same time.

James chuckled, Lily coloured and looked away. She chewed her lip thoughtfully.

"Doesn't it seem a bit… Quiet to you?" she asked the Marauders.

_WHOOSH!_

They threw themselves to the ground as a gigantic fireball tore through the air, shattering the fragile calm. People screamed a d scattered and another fireball erupted from the opposite end of the street. Two groups of Death Eaters were closing in from both sides. There were too many to fight, about thirty in total, and the students and civilians in Hogsmeade were already in hopeless hysterics.

All those left on the street scrambled for the nearest door, but the owners of the shops and homes lining the street had bolted and sealed the doors in a heartbeat, leaving handfuls of people exposed to the attack.

"Get to work," one of the Death Eaters barked, Dawn felt a swoop of sick anger in her stomach when she recognised the voice as belonging to Rabastan Lestrange, her still at larger torturer.

"Take as many of the students as you can, dispose of the villagers."

"Dispose?" Lily murmured, as if confused by what Lestrange could mean by that.

Then the spell came.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

It hit an old man, frail and hunched over a walking stick, in the stomach. He keeled over, dead. The screaming, the jostling, everything stopped, all eyes were fixed on the body and the knowledge came to everyone that they would all end up the same way.

'So this is what genocide feels like,' Dawn thought in a distant part of her brain.

The Death Eaters were drawing closer, beside her Dawn heard Sirius send up a quiet prayer that somebody locked safe inside had at least scrounged up the courage to floo the Auror Department, because he didn't like their odds against thirty murderous psychos. They were completely trapped by now, one of the Death Eaters reached out to take a couple of third years hostage.

"We can't let this happen," James said in a raspy voice. He'd drawn his wand with movements almost too quick to catch.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ he cried.

The Death Eater's wand flew from his hand and he stumbled back from the third years in shock. He growled, but the other Death Eaters found it hilarious.

"They want to duel!" Rabastan crowed. "All right then, let's give them a lesson on it."

Spells flew thick and fast at the Marauders and Lily from both sides; Peter screamed and transformed, unnoticed in the melee, and the others hastily threw up shield spells to ward off the blows. The Death Eaters didn't let up, the Marauders were trapped under a relentless barrage of fire, all their energies focused on keeping their shields up. Dawn grunted as a particularly heavy spell (she thought maybe a Cruciatus or even an Imperio) thudded into her defences; it was like a sword of violent light glancing off her shield. It pushed her back into Remus, but she scrambled to regain her lost ground and redoubled her defence.

It felt like they were under fire for hours on end, but it eventually began to let up and they realised that other people in the street had finally come to their aid. Frank and Alice were duelling a fierce cluster of Death Eaters along with Emmeline Vance, the Head Girl, and a couple of boys from the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Hestia Jones was there fighting, too, along with some people Dawn didn't know by name and didn't have time to think about it. Even the third and fourth years, although they didn't have much class experience in the way of duelling, were Disarming and Stupefying as best they could.

Now that they weren't quite so besieged, the Marauders and Lily began to fire back. It was a scrappy, desperate fight and it was clear from only a few minutes of it that the Death Eaters were too quick and too powerful for them, even as James watched Hestia was taken down by three Stunners hitting her from behind at once.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dawn saw a jet of purple light heading right for her, but a pair of hands shoved her aside and it exploded against the side wall of Zonko's. When Dawn looked around, she realised that Sirius' quick thinking had saved her, but it had also separated them. What had been a tight defensive circle had been penetrated, Lily, Dawn and the boys all stood alone now. She tried not to think about it too much, just concentrated on dodging the spells that seemed to come from everywhere at once, but she knew they wouldn't last much longer without help.

Lily was gasping for air as she duelled, a combination of fear and exertion working to make sure she wasn't getting enough oxygen into her lungs.

"_Impedementa!_" she roared, but her adversary side-stepped it.

She wasn't prepared for it when he attacked her physically, one blow sending her crashing to the dust. She heard a roar from nearby, like an enraged bull, but didn't have time to process it. The Death Eater had thrown himself on top of her, a mess of hot breath and hands and crushing weight smothering her. She fought against him, but couldn't get free. She couldn't win.

A whirlwind of fury came out of nowhere, tackling the body off her and when it came up for air it took the form of James Potter, eyes firing, wand tip poking into the ribcage of the Death Eater.

"_Stupefy!"_

The blast was so great that it even knocked James back a few steps, but he regained his balance quickly as Lily instinctively scrambled to his side for security. He put an arm about her, shunting her to the side of the fray.

"What?" she puffed.

"Run!" he screamed. "Get out of here, get Dumbledore, just – RUN!"

A spell blasted the beams of a front porch above their heads, they dived for cover but ended up separated by the rubble. James winced as a plank of wood hit his ankle dead on, then realised he'd lost sight of everyone he cared about in the ruckus.

"No!" he screamed, trying to climb to his feet.

"**_EXPELLIARMUS!_**"

It was the loudest, dingle most terrifying voice Sirius had ever heard. It froze him in his tracks and took out three Death Eaters at once. Luckily for Sirius, that included the one that had been about to Crucio him from behind. Dumbledore glared around, a host of Aurors and Professors were at his back. The Cavalry had arrived.

It wasn't long after that that the Death Eaters were retreating. They weren't stupid enough to risk a prolonged shoot-out with both Dumbledore and Moody on the scene and they fled after six of their ranks had been detained and bound. Quiet reigned on the street once more, though this time it was punctured by sobbing and ragged breathing. Peter popped out of thin air, nobody seemed to notice that only a chubby rat had inhabited that spot only a second before.

Everybody who was still standing looked around at each other, awed by what had happened in only the space of half an hour. Dawn shivered in Sirius' arms as she thought about it. She'd seen people die this afternoon, she'd seen people hurt, and trying to hurt her and her friends, and she had hurt people herself. Not innocent people, but still, on some level, people. She felt Remus reach for her hand and squeezed back, drawing comfort from being tangled amongst her friends.

James finally managed to struggle to his feet and looked wildly around.

"Evans!"

She was trying to wriggle out from underneath some of the wreckage. She looked battered and bruised, but relatively unhurt. She was shaken, though, pale and wild-eyed. James limped over and pulled her free, catching her tight in his arms and staring desperately at her.

"I'm alright," she puffed. "I'm – "

He kissed her.

There was a very persistent voice in the back of James' head telling him he was an idiot, but he was determined to ignore it for now. Something inside him was singing, he felt immortalised to know he was kissing Lily Evans, pushing his mouth gently against her soft lips and tasting her and knowing that she would be alright and… She was kissing him back. James was kissing Lily and Lily was kissing James.

It was the shock of that knowledge more than anything else that made James retreat. He pulled back and then there was staring and gasping and confusion. He looked down.

"I'm sor-"

"James!"

James barely had time to register his father's voice before he was firmly collected by Harold's arms; a moment later Dawn, a graze on her temple and an ugly welt that looked like a rope burn across her collarbone, crashed into the family hug. Harold squeezed so tight he almost cut off their circulation.

"Merlin you two give me a heart attack sometimes," he thundered. "Why can't you just stay out of trouble for five minutes?"

James laughed at his father, but there was no humour in it. Harold ruffled his hair and kissed the top of Dawn's head before releasing them at last and James sneaked a glance over his shoulder at Lily.

He half expected her to be waiting patiently to break his nose the second she had a chance, but one look at her in that moment had James doubting she'd even be capable of it. She was still white, in shock, Professor McGonagall was helping her to sit down on the rubble of some steps. There were Ministry officials all over the street, Medi-Witches swarming on the most battered looking people, and reporters buzzing around like mosquitoes, dive-bombing as many ears as they could with questions. Remus and Sirius were standing side by side where Dawn hand left them, wands still in hand, staring dazedly at the carnage.

FLASH!

They blinked, but otherwise barely managed to react as the camera went off right in their faces. Then McGonagall was shooing the photographer away and hustling all the students who had been involved and were capable of walking away from the scene.

"Where are we going?" Sirius asked.

"To safety. Keep up," McGonagall snapped, her wand in hand and her eyes darting everywhere.

Sirius heaved a dejected sigh and followed obediently. He didn't have the energy or the will to argue.

* * *

They were sequestered in the Hospital Wing all afternoon, subjected to the overprotective mothering of Madam Pomfrey until Dumbledore finally managed to get back to the castle. He brought a handful of Aurors and Ministry officials with him, along with a Psychological Healer, the students were all separated and made to give official statements before being strongly advised to speak with the Psychologist about what had happened before they were free to go.

Dawn was the only Marauder who chose to visit the Psychologist. She spent almost an hour locked up in a little office near McGonagall's quarters talking to the old Wizard. She didn't know why she'd been so affected about what she'd seen in Hogsmeade – she'd seen far worse battles in Sunnydale (hell, she'd even been the object of an Apocalyptic battle once) but it seemed like for the first time in her life when she'd been able to fight back during something so important. She'd fought, she'd stood up for herself and her friends, but people had still died. She hated that.

She skipped dinner, dealing with all the new thoughts bouncing around inside her head, but when she got back to the Common Room James and Lily were still out giving statements. The other boys wanted to know what had taken her so long, but Dawn wouldn't answer. She just shook her head and curled up on Sirius' lap so he could hold her while she stared into the fire.

James stayed back after he was finished making his statement so that he could talk to his father for a few minutes. He didn't have anything he really wanted to talk about, but just hearing Harold's voice after such a gruelling day was calming. There was something in his Dad's voice, something strong and rich and warm that reminded James about everything he wanted to be. And deep down he knew he was stalling so that he wouldn't have to run into Lily. He blushed at the thought – it wasn't the hordes of Death Eaters that had attacked him that frightened him, it was whatever Lily must think of him now that made his palms sweat.

Harold chuckled, picking up on the vibe all too easily. "As far as making the big move goes, your timing is… Interesting, son."

"Ha ha," James said sourly. "She'll never give me a chance now."

"Stop being so dramatic, you're a Potter for Merlin's sake," Harold said, rolling his eyes. "You were worried, you acted thoughtlessly (as usual) and yet you didn't get your balls hexed off for it. at the end of the day, I'd say you did pretty well out of it. if you're that worried, apologise to the girl and then try not to act like a git around her for at least a week and a half. If you can manage that."

"Gee, thanks Dad."

Harold smiled blandly. "You're welcome. Now get out of here already."

James smirked. "Anything else while you're at it?"

"Yeah. I love you, James."

"Love you too, Dad. See you soon."

With that, James walked out of the little makeshift interview room, and walked straight into Lily, coming out of the one next door. He groaned, then hastily turned it into a "Hi," then groaned again because he sounded exactly like the thug she always accused him of being.

Lily didn't say anything, just fell into step beside him because she didn't want to walk all the way up to the Common Room alone. Somehow, she knew she would be safe with James. Potter. Safe with Potter, and only because it was a well-known fact that Gryffs stuck together no matter what. No other reason. None at all.

James spent most of the walk clearing his throat and then failing to come up with words. But as they were approaching the final flight of stairs before their floor, he made one last-ditch effort.

"Um… Evans?" he tried gingerly.

"Hmm?"

"I wanted to apologise for what happened this afternoon. I shouldn't have kissed you like that."

"Then how_should_ you have kissed me?"

There was a second of silence, then Lily smacked a hand to her forehead. "I did not mean that the way it came out."

James grinned, but didn't dare push it. "Look, I really am sorry, ok?"

Lily looked at her shoes. Was that a little sting of disappointment pricking at her stomach? No, it couldn't be. That was ridiculous. It had nothing to do with the fact that nobody had ever kissed her so sweetly before, so gently and adoringly that not even Chase What's-his-face could compare, she was just embarrassed over her dumb kissing remark. Yes, that was it. she was too tired and drained to think straight. She just nodded, deciding not to risk it by saying something even stupider.

James let his breath out in a whoosh of relief. No broken glasses tonight.

"Thank you," Lily whispered.

"Huh?"

"You saved me… That guy…"

He nodded, understanding. "Yeah. You're, um, you're welcome. I saw him all over you and I guess I flipped out a bit. I mean, if not me, then it has to be someone better, alright?"

Lily laughed, amazed. "Was that the great James Potter admitting there just may be better men in the world?"

"Maybe," James admitted slyly. "The Wizengamot's still out on that one."

Lily shook her head, but she was smiling. James was wearier than he'd ever been, he was sore and tired but he just wanted to dance along the corridor because he was walking along with Lily and they were talking. Just talking. Like they were friends. Lily caught his eye and grinned a bit awkwardly, like she was thinking the exact same thing.

"Lion's Den."

The Common Room was dark and still, the fire had died and the only sound was the soft, even breathing coming from the couple fast asleep on one of the couches. Lily watched while James tossed a blanket over Dawn and Sirius and settled himself in an armchair facing the blackened windows. She arched an eyebrow.

"Not going to your dorm, Potter?"

"Nah," he shrugged. "Too many thoughts for sleep. I'm just going to watch the windows, make sure the sun comes up and all that. Sweet dreams, Evans."

Lily smiled. "Goodnight, James."

* * *

A large photograph of Remus and Sirius, grimy and blinking stupidly around at the destroyed Main Street in Hogsmeade greeted the Marauders on the front page of the 'Sunday Prophet' when they arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast the following morning. Remus barely glanced at the picture and began scanning the article, but Sirius pouted at it over his pumpkin juice.

"But I'm usually so photogenic," he moaned.

Dawn rubbed his leg. "'Course you are, baby."

A few minutes later, they heard a scoff coming from somewhere behind Remus' paper. "I don't think this idiot has reported one actual fact about what really happened in this whole article. Apparently all us Hogwarts students involved are nothing but out of control delinquents meddling in things over out heads and its clear Dumbledore can't keep us in line."

"We didn't need the Death Eaters to attack to tell us that, but they make it sound like a bad thing," James muttered to Dawn and Sirius.

"Who reported that load of bullocks?" Sirius asked.

Remus scanned the credits. "Um… Some woman named Rita Skeeter."

James shrugged. "Never heard of her."

"Well hopefully we won't have to hear much more from her if she keeps printing rubbish like that," Lily piped up over her toast.

"Let's hope," Dawn added.

The whole school seemed to be following some sort of unspoken agreement – they all spent the next few days relaxing, trying to get back to the normalcy of classes and hanging out and not dwelling too much on what they now knew could happen to them out in the real world. Then, on Wednesday evening, Locky appeared in the Gryffindor Common Room with a list of names and an invitation from Dumbledore to attend a special meeting in the Great Hall. All five Marauders were included, they went with Lily and Frank to their destination while Locky visited the other three Common Rooms and the Library to round up the other students on the list. They stepped into the Great Hall and looked around, unsure of what to expect.

"Dad?" Dawn blurted.

Harold was in conversation with Dumbledore, McGonagall and Mad-Eye Moody, he looked up at the sound of his surrogate daughter's voice and winked.

"Hi, kids. Go an and take a seat, we'll get started as soon as everyone's here."

The House tables had been pushed aside and there were blue mats laid down on the floor, an unhappy reminder of gym classes at Sunnydale Junior High for Dawn. They sat cross-legged on those and newcomers drifted in until Dumbledore was satisfied that everyone had arrived. He thanked Locky and told her she was free to head back to the Kitchens if she chose, then flicked his wand to close and soundproof the doors.

"Can everyone hear me without a Sonorous Charm?" the Headmaster asked, continuing only when those at the very back had nodded. "For those of you who don't know, this is Head Auror Alastor Moody and Deputy Head Auror Harold Potter. They have matters of grave importance to discuss with you and I suggest you give them your full attention."

Harold and Moody took the floor, out of the corner of her eye Dawn saw Peter subtly shift away as Moody loomed over him. James was studying his father's face for some clue as to what this was all about, but Harold was giving nothing away, he looked graver than James had seen him for a long time. It was like he knew what he was doing was right, but he was still worried about something. James didn't have time to contemplate Harold's expression further, because Moody's gravelly voice filled the room, commanding attention.

"First thing's first. Anybody here who doesn't believe that Voldemort needs to be stopped at all costs, leave now."

He paused and glared around. There was a lot of flinching at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, but nobody left. McGonagall's face held a tiny smirk of pride. Of the seven Gryffindors present, only one had flinched. The other six had raised their chin's in defiance at the suggestion. They continued to hold their heads high as Moody continued to speak.

"Good," he barked. "Dumbledore's shown faith in you all by asking you here – I'm glad nobody's disappointed that faith so easily. Now, you're all here because we want your help. We're at war! The Ministry has done everything in its power to keep that from you, and look where it's got you. Attacked! Ambushed! You're in danger, make no mistake about that. You think you're safe, but you've got to know…"

There was nothing but the sounds of enraptured breathing throughout the Hall, the entire room was caught up in the magic of Moody's sermon and all eyes were on the grizzled, mismatched figure thundering up and down in front of them. The Auror seemed to reign himself in and continued.

"Last Saturday, you were all on the street when those scumbags struck. See how safe your Ministry kept you – "

"Mad-Eye," Harold muttered warningly.

"Right, right," Moody muttered distractedly. "Well, you were there. You saw. And you fought back. Each and every one of you survived that day, and you survived on your own wits."

At that point, Harold stepped in and picked up the thread at a much calmer pace. "What we've brought you here for is not only to congratulate you all on what you did – your bravery helped save lives that day – but also to ask you to join us. With your parents' permission of course, we'd like to enrol you all in an advanced practical defences course next year. One night a week throughout term we'll meet here and you'll learn more effective measures of duelling, of defending yourselves and also more about minimising the risks to others in a dangerous situation."

Sensing his cue, Dumbledore stepped in. "Of course, such a program will be considered extra course credit for all Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, not to mention placing you in good stead for your years after Hogwarts. Why, with this training any applicant for the Auror program will be looked upon favourably, and those of you who in any way, when of age, wish to join the fight against Voldemort will be welcomed with open arms. However, if not, you may simply feel more secure with the defences you learn in this course. Are there any questions?"

Frank raised his hand. "Sir, I'm not quite sure why Alice and I are here. I mean, we're seventh years and we've already got our acceptance letters for the Auror training program. We won't be here next year."

Harold grinned. "I can field that one, son. As part of your training, we're hoping to have the two of you come and help us out every week. It will help consolidate everything you'll be learning in your own training to teach others."

Frank nodded. "Cool."

"If there are no more questions, then…" Moody broke in a little impatiently. He was clutching a stack of parchments in one leathery fist.

"One more thing," Dumbledore called. "I want each and every one of you to understand that you are under no obligation to take part in this training. If you do join us, we expect you to do so only by your own free will. Those of you who may be interested, please come and collect a permission form from Mr Moody."

"Mr," Moody snorted at the title. Harold turned away to conceal the little grin he'd shared with McGonagall.

The Marauders and Lily shared a look. Peter was a little wide-eyed, but he looked determined to prove himself. None of the others had said anything to him about it, but he knew deep down that they all thought he was a coward for hiding while everybody else fought for their lives. Remus and Lily looked resolved, James and Sirius even looked haughty about the whole thing. Dawn couldn't help but smirk.

"Well? What are we waiting for?"

* * *


	42. Throw Your Arms Around Me

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. The Buffy stuff is still Joss Whedon's. The Harry Potter stuff is still J.K. Rowling's. Throw Your Arms Around Me is by Hunters & Collectors. None of those people are me.

**A.N.:** Bet you all thought you'd never see this, but here it is. The final chapter at last! I want to say a huge thank you to those of you who have supported me and stuck with me through all these months that I haven't given you anything. Thanks for keeping the faith, you've kept me writing in the three minutes a week I have in which to do so. Love you all.

* * *

CHAPTER FORTY

**Throw Your Arms Around Me**

_We may never meet again, so shed your skin and let's get started_

_You will throw your arms around me…_

"So, who's going to do it?"

They'd just come from the meeting in the Great Hall and the Marauders were holding a meeting of their own in the Room of Requirement. James, Sirius and Dawn all looked determined to join the training program, but Peter, and to everyone's surprise Remus, did not look so certain.

"I'm in," Sirius said, lounging back against Dawn. "If my dear old Hag-Mum won't sign the permission form I'll just forge it. I bet Dumbledore won't care - he never said anything about the Hogsmeade weekend slip."

James snorted. "Well I'll just get Dad to sign mine. You know, if Mum hasn't already killed him for even suggesting it."

"Uh-huh. I'm sold," Dawn said.

She felt Sirius tense against her and turn to catch her eye and knew what was coming. She arched an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look, Kitten," he scolded gently. "You know what my problem is. What if you get hurt?"

"What if I slip on a bar of soap in the shower?"

"Merlin, you'll be killed!" Remus screamed hysterically.

James laughed loudly, Dawn allowed herself a quick smirk before leaping in to press her advantage. "Is the fact that it's dangerous and I'm going to be scared out of my mind for you going to stop you? No, didn't think so, baby. Besides, hello, mysterious glowy key thing here, and Voldemort still wants me... Fidelius or not, I'm never going to be entirely safe. You got something against me being able to defend myself?"

"Oh boy," James muttered to Remus and Peter, but made sure there was no way Dawn would overhear him.

Sirius shifted again, Dawn could almost see him putting words together in his head. "No, you know that. And you know that the decision is entirely yours and I'm with you no matter what. I just couldn't stand it if something happened to you."

Dawn nodded, smiling, and pulled him back towards her. "Ditto."

Sirius made himself comfortable once more, then looked at Remus and Peter. "What about you two - laying it all on the line for the chance to kick Voldemort's bony ass with us?"

"If they'll have me," Remus mumbled, looking down.

Dawn sat up so quickly that Sirius was thrown away from her. "If they'll have you? Of course they'll have you - that's why they invited you! I swear, Rem, if you're even thinking of turning this down just because of your inner wolf..." She trailed off, muttering threats that made Sirius look uncomfortable and edge slightly away from her.

James chuckled. "The Kitten has spoken. Well what about you Wormtail? Who are you more afraid of - Voldemort or Dawn? Personally, I'd rather face Voldemort, and I speak from experience."

James ducked the shoe that came flying at his head. Peter blushed brightly. "I - I - I - I don't know... S-should I?"

"Did you not just hear the speech?" Sirius asked dryly.

"Oh. Right," Peter nodded. "I guess so, then. I mean - "

"Hey!" Sirius butted in out of nowhere. "I just realized something."

A slight flash went through Peter's eyes at being interrupted, but he didn't say anything. Nobody had noticed, they were all staring at Sirius now, awaiting his revelation.

"Tomorrow's our last day!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Ah, Padfoot, mate, Dumbledore reminded everybody of that already on Monday morning. Remember - the Hogwarts Express leaves on Friday morning, there's only a half day of classes tomorrow so we've all got time to pack."

Sirius waved away any worries over the fact that he should have already known everything Remus just told him. Really, if Dumbledore wanted to make announcements while there was bacon in front of a hungry boy, it was his own fault if nothing ever sank in.

"We've got a half day? What are we going to do with our afternoon off then?" he asked eagerly.

"Well baby, there's the wacky notion of packing," Dawn said.

But James was very quickly coming around to Sirius' way of thinking. "Nah - we can get that done during History of Magic. I know - when was the last time we went down to Hagrid's?"

"Ages ago," Remus said, thinking back. Then he smiled and they knew he was in. Even Lily was no longer pretending to pay attention to Professor Binns, the time would definitely be better spent packing. Especially if it meant they could spend the afternoon with Hagrid.

"Speaking of last visits, how about one last stop at the Kitchens?" James suggested, jumping to his feet. "C'mon, Wormtail, back me up here. It's time for a snack!"

"Yeah," Peter said, looking chuffed now that someone had finally asked his opinion on something. "Let's go."

They went down to the Kitchens to say goodbye to Locky and the other House-Elves, who promptly responded with hysterical tears and towering stacks of chocolate crepes for a late dessert. The boys seemed to make a sick competition of seeing who could down the most crepes, but Dawn had fallen into a melancholy silence and played with more of her food than she actually ate. Sirius noticed her sudden downturn in mood but did not say anything, just held her hand all the way back to Gryffindor tower and stayed behind with her in the Common Room when James, Peter and Remus went up to their dorm. He looked at her with concern, one hand sliding up and down her arm.

"Dawnie - ?"

"Can I stay with you tonight?" she rushed out over the top of him. "I don't mean..."

"I don't expect anything, you know that."

She let a grateful smile flicker over her lips at that response. "I just want to be close to you... While I still can."

"Ah." Sirius took a deep breath and turned to face the white elephant that had been looming over them since the end of OWLs. "Dawn, I don't want to go home, but nothing's going to change between us once we do. You know that, right?"

She scoffed and pushed away a little bit. "Of course it's going to change, Sirius! We won't get to be together every day. I'm going to the Potters' and you're going back to your Mum's place, where everyone hates me and wants you to have nothing to do with me."

Sirius grabbed her arms so tight it hurt. "Hey, you stop that right now, Dawn. Don't ever think I'd listen to them for a second - I haven't agreed with them for sixteen years and I bloody well don't intend to start now."

"But what's going to happen when we're away from each other?" Dawn pressed.

Sirius shrugged, trying not to let his own fears show. "It's not forever, baby. I'll be writing, and I'll floo, and James and I have our two-way mirrors now. I always end up at Godric's Hollow at some point anyway. We'll be together, I promise."

Dawn smiled, reassured. She still didn't like that they had to be apart, but he was starting to make her believe that they could survive it. She couldn't resist leaning in to sneak in a quick kiss.

"Let's go to bed," she murmured.

"Sure," Sirius wound an arm around her and began to steer her upstairs. "So, tomorrow night, what do you say to a little alone time? Just you, me, and the Room of Requirement. I want our last night here to be perfect."

"It's a date."

* * *

"Hagrid, you in there?" James yelled, hammering on the door to the Gamekeeper's cottage.

There was a whining and scratching at the inside of the door, a moment later it swung open and Fang was bounding through the opening, Hagrid right on his heels. The massive boarhound, as usual, went straight for Dawn, but experience had taught her to be ready so she braced herself against the dog's over-enthusiastic weight and actually managed to stay on her feet for once.

"Had a feelin' yeh'd be down ter see me - why me an' Fang bin stayin' close ter home all day," the half-giant grinned, stepping back so the Marauders could cross the threshold.

They piled into the cabin and settled themselves around the table, dodging the pile of rock cakes while Hagrid boiled the kettle and set out the teacups. He didn't even bother to ask why they weren't in the castle packing like the rest of the students. They helped themselves to tea and chattered away while they drank.

"Well, Hagrid, there goes another year," James mused as he drained his cup. "And I must say, this one turned out better than most, at the end of the day."

"Sure did," Sirius piped up, squeezing Dawn's hand, but Dawn was not looking back at him.

She was looking at Remus. He was staring into his cup, meditating on James' declaration. In some ways, this had been the best year of his life, but it had also been the worst. He'd gained a new friend, the best he'd ever had, and he'd found love. But he'd also lost it, and he doubted he'd ever be completely free of the guilt that gnawed away at his insides when his world was at its quietest. Everybody had worn him down from totally blaming himself – it had been a war of attrition but they'd finally convinced him that he had not killed Isabel; she had killed herself. But the one battle that his guilt had won was the knowledge nobody could dispute, the knowledge that she had killed herself because she was a werewolf, and that had been his fault.

Finally Remus noticed the way Dawn was analysing every little flicker of movement in his face and turned to give her a quick smile, just so she knew it was ok. They didn't notice Hagrid watching them with a strangely knowing look on his face, like he understood the way the two best friends understood each other.

"All righ' th' lot of yer – yer didn't come down here while everyone else is locked up in th' castle packin' so yer could all sit roun' inside drinkin' tea, did yer? Let's get outside while we still can," Hagrid suggested, herding them all towards the door.

"Hang on," James said, ducking back under Hagrid's arm and heading for one of the cupboards. "Hagrid, is that, er, bag of questionable goods still in here?"

"Sure is," Hagrid chuckled. "Professor McGonagall was none th' wiser 'bout all tha', James."

"Excellent," James said, pulling an exceptionally lumpy cloth bag from the cupboard and rummaging around for a few seconds. He produced a quaffle, the silver lettering of 'PROPERTY OF HOGWARTS QUIDDITCH STORE' not quite completely scratched off, and tossed it to Sirius. "Who's up for a game of tackle Quidditch?"

Dawn groaned out loud. "Why did I _ever_ let Xander explain football to you guys?"

During the Scoobies' visit to Hogwarts, Xander had taught the Marauders how to play American football, but due to a lack of an actual football, they had had to improvise. As a result, James had developed tackle Quidditch, an idea based on football with a quaffle that really just boiled down to the boys trying to tackle each other into the biggest puddle of mud they could find, while Dawn squealed and tried to dive out of the way. Just as she hadn't liked roughing it with the boys in a snowball fight, Dawn didn't like trying to match it with them in an even more physical sport. It wasn't that she couldn't keep up, or that she wasn't strong enough (for his sake, she'd never arm-wrestle Peter in public again), but her bones always seemed to be more fragile than theirs. She blamed that shoddy monk craftsmanship for not giving her a strong enough body. It took a broken wrist for them all to figure this out, Dawn had screamed bloody murder at the sight of her hand going in a different direction to the rest of her arm, McGonagall had been livid and banned them from "such a barbaric, idiotic game", and James had found himself with a bag full of stolen Quidditch supplies that needed asylum. Dawn sighed. Of course, all that would never deter the Marauders for more than a few days.

They trudged out to one of the grassy spots by the lake, conveniently hidden from view of the castle by a row of trees, and picked teams. James, Sirius and Peter, versus Dawn, Remus, Hagrid and Fang. Once the goal lines had been drawn up using red sparks from Remus' wand, the two teams spread across the middle of the makeshift field and Sirius tapped off.

Hagrid came barrelling at him, so he passed to Peter, who Dawn and Fang quickly double-teamed and, after a lot of effort, some strategic yet not entirely legal stomach-poking from Dawn, and a whole lot of slobber from Fang, they brought him down for the first tackle. Peter grunted and did not dare to look up until the soft, cushiony body had lifted away from him, only getting up to play the ball when he was sure Dawn was well clear and not about to catch too close a look at his blisteringly bright face.

It was a several sets and a couple of touchdowns to Sirius later that Dawn finally managed to catch a break through a quick pass from Remus and a block from Hagrid. She took off for the goal line, knowing that of the boys only James had the speed to keep up with her but hoping against hope that the few nanoseconds it took for him to pivot and shoot off after her would be enough to keep her clear. No such luck; she could feel his feet pounding into her footprints almost as soon as her feet were clear of them and his breath was like the puffing of a steam train in her ear. He was matching her speed burst for burst and Dawn knew the second he spotted an opening to tackle her with the least possible chance of injury, she was going to hit the dirt.

Just yards from the line, she felt the arm tighten around her legs and braced herself for the impact.

"Oof!"

James pushed himself up on one arm so he could look at her face. "All right, Kitten?"

Though she was curled up under his chest in the foetal position, wrapped around the quaffle, Dawn nodded. She'd probably have a bruise or two by tomorrow morning, but that was a pretty standard occupational hazard of being a Marauder whether there was a quaffle involved or not. Besides, there was a maniacal grin on James' face which was a much greater cause for concern at the present.

"Good." Before she could catch up with what was happening, James was tickling her mercilessly, only increasing his torture with each of her helpless screams of laughter.

WHAM!

Something the size of a horse barrelled into them, knocking James off Dawn with so much force that he did a series of forward rolls along the grass before coming to a stop splayed haphazardly across the ground. He slowly sat up, shaking his head to rid the little stars from his vision, and looked around, bewildered.

"Bloody hell! Fang!"

The boarhound looked quite pleased with himself; having managed to rescue Dawn from her attacker he was now enjoying a series of tummy rubs and hugs amid Dawn's tempest of giggles. The others, wandering up to the action at a much more leisurely rate, were hooting and catcalling their appreciation for the entertainment. Trying his hardest not to chuckle too loudly, Hagrid lifted James up by the scruff of the neck with one hand and set him back on his feet.

"All righ', James?"

"Fine," James coughed. "I have plenty of ribs, so what if one or two get crushed, right?"

"That's the spirit," Remus said cheerily, with such a pleasant, conversational smile that anybody who didn't know better would think he'd never uttered a sarcastic word in his life. He helped Sirius unfurl Dawn and Fang and peel Dawn from the ground before they could all get on with their game.

They played together until the sun began to shift towards the western horizon and a glanced at Remus' watch told him they were due at the Leaving Feast within the hour. And they were all sweaty, mud-covered, Fang's slobber-covered messes. He raised his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing wolf-whistle.

"Time!" he bellowed.

The rest of the gang, a mess of limbs around Hagrid as James, Peter and Sirius tried desperately to tackle the half-giant and Dawn and Fang did their best to help propel him towards the goal line without getting squashed in the process, stopped as one looming blob. One by one, the boys dropped off Hagrid's shoulders and Dawn darted away to avoid being a human landing pad. For a moment they all stood around, not quite sure what to say. After all, it would be three months before they had a chance to visit Hagrid like this again. Then James offered his trademark grin.

"See you in the morning then, Hagrid! I'll be down after breakfast to grab the, um, goods of questionable origin…" he said, lobbing the quaffle that Hagrid had dropped upon Remus' whistle back at him.

Hagrid laughed. "Go on with yer, then."

They began the walk back to the castle, wearied from their afternoon of exercise but grinning with the knowledge that they'd spent their final few hours of Hogwarts' leisure time for fifth year well. Nobody seemed to notice or care when they wandered casually through the Entrance Hall while the rest of the castle was diligently organising their final few items for packing. When they reached the second floor corridor, Dawn paused suddenly.

"I'll see you guys in the dorms," she said. "I want to go and say goodbye to Myrtle before the feast. See you later."

She hopped off the staircase and onto the landing before the stairs decided to change on her and take her towards the never-ending corridor on the opposite side of the stairway; she'd found out the hard way that if you didn't want to spend the rest of the night walking down a corridor that just kept repeating itself, then you had to wait at least half an hour for the stairs to change in a way that would get you back to either the Great Hall or Gryffindor tower. And a girl sneaking around the castle at three in the morning in just her nightie and an old pair of James' runners did not particularly want to be heading to the Great Hall where the Prefects and Professors all began their nightly patrols from, either.

Still contemplating the difficulties of staircase hopping, Dawn pushed through the doorway to Myrtle's bathroom haunt and waited to see if Myrtle would pop out without her calling. The ghost usually always came as soon as Dawn called out to her, but some of the Slytherin fourth year girls had taken to pelting wadded up bits of toilet paper through her whenever they caught sight of the ghost, so Myrtle had taken to hiding in the u-bend and listening until she was sure it was one of the Marauders above.

After a few minutes of silence, Dawn sighed and gave up.

"It's just me, Myrtle. You can come out."

Trying to look as if she'd just come up from the lake, Myrtle popped her head out of the nearest toilet bowl and gave a fake start of surprise as transparent as Cordelia at her most ridiculous.

"Oh, Dawn! Been here long? I was just down at the lake…"

Seeing Dawn's raised eyebrow, Myrtle trailed off sheepishly. A moment later, she'd had one of her colossal mood swings and was lifting her chin in defiance as she floated up to meet Dawn. "Well, what would you do? Peeves emptied an ink bottle down there the other day and flushed!"

Dawn tried to look sympathetic. "Well at least it was only ink you were getting flushed with," she said bracingly, then rushed on before Myrtle could have a breakdown at the possibilities of what else she could've been flushed with. "So how have you been, Myrtle? Did I tell you I'm joining a training program to help fight Voldemort after we graduate!"

"Ooh," Myrtle squealed. "That sounds dangerous! And exciting – is James going to be in it, too? He's so brave, I bet they asked him to join…"

"Vomit," Dawn muttered under her breath, but her smile paved over it before the ghost could catch it. "Sure is. All of us, even Lily, we're starting when classes start up next year."

"Oh," Myrtle's mood took a sudden downturn. "Next year. Because this year is over for you; you'll all go home and have a great summer and forget about poor Myrtle stuck up in the girls' bathroom all alone!"

"I will not! Why do you think I came up here to see you – because I'd forgotten about you? No way. Besides, you don't have to stay up here all the time, you know. Why don't you try going out a bit this summer? Just down to Hogsmeade for a little trip, what do you say?" Dawn cajoled. "There's nothing stopping you, get out of Hogwarts for just a little while, who knows what sort of fun you might get up to. I bet you won't even miss me at all, and then when we both get back here next year you can tell me all about it."

"You're just saying that so you don't have to feel guilty about abandoning me," Myrtle grumbled.

"I'm not abandoning you!" Dawn protested. "It's just the way it is – summer comes and students go home. And I promise I'll write."

Myrtle let out a shriek like a wounded hyena. "And how do you expect me to open the letter to read it?"

"Geez, sorry, I didn't think. But seriously, I will miss you while I'm away. And I do hope you have some fun, you deserve it," Dawn grinned, knowing she'd be forgiven.

She wasn't wrong. Great ghostly tears were glistening on Myrtle's cheeks, but she grinned back. "You too, Dawn. Will you say hi to James for me?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Of course."

* * *

There was an air of excitement about the Great Hall as students packed in for the Leaving Feast; everyone decked out in House colours and speculating over who would win the House cup. Dawn didn't know what to make of it; although the Quidditch team had won the Quidditch cup and earned a truckload of points, and Lily averaged about a hundred a week just for having all the right answers, the Marauders still held the Hogwarts' record for the most detentions in… ever. Taking a glance at the four jars of stones in the Entrance Hall that represented the House points on her way through, she was almost surprised that the rubies weren't in the negatives.

Dumbledore sat as serenely as ever in the Headmaster's chair, McGonagall somehow managing to look completely prim and proper in her festive pointed hat that shimmered red just for the occasion as she perched beside him. There was almost a nostalgic look on the Headmaster's face as he smiled around at his students who, blissfully unaware, chattered and laughed on.

"Ah, Minerva," he sighed in his infinitely raspy voice. "They still seem so young, don't they?"

The Deputy studied him evenly. "Albus?"

"They look like children, all of them. Even the seventh years who think they're ready to take on the world. They've got hard times to grow up in, it frightens me to think of all they'll have to go through – of all they've already gone through. And still, they laugh, they live," he mused, watching out of the corner of his eye as James and Sirius squabbled, sparks flying from their wands, over a liquorice wand that had fallen out of Remus' pocket.

McGonagall smiled sadly. "What else can they do? They don't know any different, and they're stronger than we think sometimes."

That brought a genuine chuckle out of Dumbledore; and not just because he could see out of the corner of his eye that Dawn had just stepped in and James and Sirius were both flat on their backsides on the ground, apologising sheepishly. "That they are. Oh well, time to – how do they say it? – get this show on the road."

He stood up, robes and hair flowing in majestic waves over him and McGonagall tapped the edge of her glass with her knife in order to call for attention. The Hall settled remarkably quickly; it always did when the students were hungry and there was a feast on the way.

"Well here we are again," Dumbledore called cheerily, all trace of reflection gone from his voice. "We've survived another year more or less intact, and we've done so together. I know you're all anxious to get to the good part – the Feast! – so I won't ramble on; you've heard enough from me this year I've no doubt. But the House Cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Hufflepuff, with 492 points."

There was a cheer from the Hufflepuff table. Dawn frowned and looked at Sirius.

"Ok, do they know they just came in last?"

He snorted. "Yeah, but they're Hufflepuff – they cheer anyway."

"In third, with 516 points, Slytherin."

The response from Slytherin was much more subdued. Malfoy scowled. Slytherin didn't lose many points, they were too well behaved in class and usually too quick to get caught out of it. That hundred points he'd lost for what he'd done to Dawn had hit them hard. The tally in the Entrance Hall looked close as it was; they may have even won if he hadn't got caught.

Dumbledore paused dramatically before going on. "There are only ten points separating our top two Houses for the year, so I'll not keep you in suspense any longer. In second place, on 600 points, is Gryffindor which means Ravenclaw wins the House Cup. Congratulations Ravenclaw!"

The Ravenclaw table erupted; the Gryffindors groaned. The Marauders looked around, wondering when the food was going to appear. Lily scowled as Chase Jones hugged an incredibly attractive Ravenclaw seventh year, then shrugged it off and turned to Dawn and the boys.

"Now I see my incredible intelligence is no match for your depraved delinquency in the House Cup stakes. What made me think I could ever compete with the five of you at once?" she grinned.

Dawn giggled. She liked this slightly altered version of her only real female friend. It was like ever since the attack on Hogsmeade, Lily had taken stock of what was really important to her and she hadn't yelled at the Marauders nearly so much. Even James only got scowled at every couple of days, rather than every couple of minutes.

James smirked. "Does that mean you'll be joining us on the dark side next year, Evans?"

Remus and Peter instinctively lifted their plates as shields to ward off the ricochet from Lily's retaliation spell, but none was forthcoming. The redhead was coolly studying her fingernails.

"Not on your life, Potter. They'd end up having to take away the points jar for Gryffindor altogether, and the Entrance Hall just wouldn't look the same with only three."

Everyone in earshot who hadn't fallen off their seats in shock at the sight of Lily Evans, Perfect Prefect Extraordinaire, joking away with her archenemy James Potter, Prankster of the Millennium, started to laugh. The Ravenclaws finally settled down, Dumbledore had clapped his hands together to deck the Hall out in Ravenclaw House banners and now spread his arms wide to recall the attention of his students.

"Congratulations Ravenclaw! Now then, we've had an extraordinary year together, good times and bad, but let's not spend our final evening together dwelling on all that's passed; let's just enjoy each others' company while we still can. So without further ado – the feast!"

The usual indescribable spread of a Hogwarts feast materialised; the boys leaped in and starting grabbing food without even looking to see what it was. It was only when Sirius bit into a napkin that they thought better of it and began glancing at the dishes just long enough to determine that there was actually food in them. They passed the next couple of hours away in the Great Hall, and just because it was the final dinner for the year (and the final Hogwarts dinner ever for some, as Frank loudly toasted with his pumpkin juice at the end of their third dessert) it seemed that the chatter was that much more animated, the laughter just that little bit louder.

There were students flying back and forth between the House tables to mingle, particularly between the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, and in the traffic of bodies Dawn and Sirius carefully timed their escape so that they could slip out of the doors unnoticed. They heard a wolf-whistle ring out as the doors swung closed, probably from James, but did not stop. They ran through the castle, holding hands, stopping only when they were well clear of the rest of the inhabitants. Then they slowed down, strolling along until they reached the Room of Requirement.

Sirius paced three times before the opening, the door appeared and led to an airy room. Dawn let out a little murmur of appreciation at the sight of a king sized bed and the spa quietly bubbling and sizzling just beyond it. Sirius stepped up behind her and kissed the side of her neck.

"Race you to the spa!"

They took off for the water, throwing articles of clothing aside on the way until Sirius was peeling his final sock off and leaping into the water just behind Dawn.

"I win," she announced proudly. "What do I get?"

"A kiss," he promised, and she pouted.

"But I was going to get one of those anyway."

"Just one?"

Dawn shrugged. "I don't like to get too far ahead of myself; now anything above that is a bonus! You've got to look on the bright side of life, baby."

"I'll look into that," Sirius chuckled, leaning back into the headrest and feeling Dawn do the same opposite him.

They let the bubbles was over them, massaging their bodies as the tension was slowly released from their muscles. Neither spoke, they didn't need to say anything and the way their feet brushed against each other as they were buffeted around by the jets was contact enough between them. Almost as if following the command of their wills, the force of the jets gradually petered out until there was only a gentle whirring to swish the water around them. A couple of bath sheets were draped over a towel rack just by the stepping ledge. Sirius reached a hand out and helped Dawn out of the water, by the time he stepped out himself she'd grabbed one of the bath sheets to dry herself off but he took it from her hands. She gave him a quizzical smile, but he just kissed the tip of her nose.

Very gently, he began to dry her. Starting with her back, he used the towel to trace his way all over her body, soaking up the droplets of water as he went. When he was finished, Dawn took the towel back and tossed it aside, reaching for the fresh one to give him the same treatment. Soon they were both dry and Dawn paused a moment to consider the strangeness of the situation. A year ago, if anyone had told her she would be skinny-dipping in a spa with a member of the opposite sex she would've turned tomato red and told them they were high. Or desperately hoped it would be Xander… maybe even Spike by that stage as well. But here she was, not even sixteen years old, an entirely new person standing completely naked with Sirius and the only butterflies stirring in her stomach were the ones in the name of desire. Then she noticed how Sirius was grinning.

"What?"

He shrugged. "The look on your face – you just look so… calm about everything. Relaxed, I mean."

That brought a small smile to Dawn's features. "I guess I am. I'm just comfortable, you know. You make me feel safe."

"Safe?" Sirius said, his grin becoming predatory. "We'll see about that!"

Dawn squealed and tried to jump back, but Sirius was relentless. He scooped her into his arms and bundled her onto the bed, wrestling her down onto the mattress until he was straddling her, his hands clamped around her bony wrists.

"Still feel _safe_?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Are you going to get all huffy and sulk if I say yes?"

"No, but since you're so _comfortable_ I'll just have to spend the rest of the night taking advantage of you – of that," he covered lamely, grinning.

"Probably a good thing we can sleep on the train, then," Dawn murmured.

She arched her neck up to claim Sirius' mouth with her own, almost immediately he relaxed his grip on her arms so his hands could rove freely over her body and through her hair, tangling in the long, wet strands while Dawn shifted her body teasingly against his.

He moaned, as if the pleasure was hurting him. "Merlin, you're perfect."

Dawn gasped, her eyes opening wide and locking onto his. "I love you," she whispered. Then her world dissolved into a whitewash of trembles.

* * *

There were that many people standing on Hogsmeade Station that Dawn was surprised the whole thing didn't collapse. Then again, it was probably held together by magic anyway. All the students' luggage had been taken out and loaded onto the Hogwarts Express while they were still at breakfast and now all that remained was to pack the sardines themselves into the carriages.

The Marauders were leaning against one of the posts waiting for the doors to be opened, all sporting dark glasses with tiny Gryffindor insignias on one arm. Most other students, and most of the Professors for that matter, assumed that the glasses were to cover the signs of yet another night spent misbehaving, but in truth that was only a pleasant side effect for Dawn and Sirius. James had just been practicing his latest conjuring spell all morning before he lost the opportunity. Frank had popped his head into the boys' dorm for a chat at the time and as a result, was now looking "way cooler than anyone would've thought possible for a Head Boy," according to Sirius. Inspired, James had even made Lily a pair, but chickened out of giving them to her himself at the last minute, making Remus pass them on at the Prefects' debriefing instead. Lining up for the carriages to the station, they'd noticed the sunnies perched on the top of Lily's head, keeping thick strands of red hair back from her face, and James' head had swelled to twice its original size.

"Firs' years board the train!" came the holler they'd all been waiting for, they spotted Hagrid's wide form parting students like the Red Sea and waved. At once he came over to the group. "Well then, guess yeh'd better start pushing in you lot, or ev'ryone'll think yeh've gone soft in yer old age."

They all chuckled. "No chance of that," Sirius yawned.

James whipped an extra large pair of sunnies out of his bag. "Made you something for the summer, Hagrid."

Beaming, Hagrid seized the sunglasses and wrapped them around his head. "Thank yer!"

They all took turns hugging him as hard as they could, though Dawn was certain he could probably barely feel it. She gave him a final, watery grin as they began to push through the crowd.

"Give Fang an extra long pat for me," she called, then sprinted off behind the boys.

The Marauders claimed their compartment in the very rear of the train, the five of them stretching out and relaxing while outside their window the rest of the school bustled past, jostling to try and get a compartment for themselves and their friends. Lily was outside, helping Hagrid direct the flow of students like a traffic cop, when she caught sight of Remus reclining in his seat through the window her jaw dropped in disbelief, but he just shrugged mildly and she shook her head. It was a miracle a Marauder had passed a whole year with his badge intact anyway, with a pang Lily realised that if Isabel had still been with them, Lily would've owed her a galleon on that bet. It was then she noticed Remus forcing the window open a few inches.

"You should be out here, Lupin!" she yelled over the distant roar of the engine powering up at the front end of the Hogwarts Express.

He shrugged again. "I'm helping," he insisted. "Someone's got to save the seats."

She rolled her eyes. "What would I do without you?"

"Spend the entire trip home in the Prefect's compartment being driven insane by pretentious twats debating the latest Wizengamot decision that you couldn't give a toss about?"

"Quite likely," Lily mused. "Although at the start of the year I would've found that prospect absolutely thrilling."

"Being driven insane by pretentious twats or being one?"

"Ha ha. Why would I need them to drive me insane – that's what you guys are for."

Remus bowed his head ceremoniously. "Delighted to play such an important role in your life, Lil."

"Glad to hear it. So you going to help me or not?"

"Already told you – I am helping."

Just then, Sirius forced the window open a little further so he could stick his face out next to Remus'. "And a damned fine job he's doing, Tigerlily. I've been supervising just to make sure, don't you worry. But I'd hurry up if I were you, Wormtail's trying to spread his picnic rug out in your spot, you'll be stuck with your pretentious twats if you're not quick. Moony here can be bought off with pumpkin pasties."

After a quick goodbye to Hagrid of her own, Lily slipped away from the other Prefects and headed towards the back end of the train. Frank noticed her going in the wrong direction as he herded the rest of the Prefects who wanted nothing more than to solve all the problems of the world in between train patrols and grinned. She'd started out as the most anal-retentive of his charges, but Lily had really become something special over the course of the year. She stepped into the Marauders compartment and took the spare seat between Remus and Peter. On the opposite side of the compartment, Sirius had fallen to sleep. He was snoring slightly and his breath was beginning to fog the window up already. Dawn's head was resting on his shoulder, but she was awake, watching with interest and even a little envy as James practiced conjuring ladybugs that he then sent on their way out the window that was still cracked slightly.

Lily unfolded the morning's edition of the _Daily Prophet_ to skim through the latest headlines of lies. Ever since the article by the newcomer journalist Rita Skeeter about Hogwarts' safety and discipline measures after the Death Eater attack on Hogsmeade, she'd stopped believing in the newspaper. But as it was the only real source of news regarding the Wizarding world, she'd paid her extended subscription to get it delivered to her home over the summer. Even if she didn't manage to read between the lines to get the real news, at least the owls visiting their home on a daily basis would drive Petunia up the wall.

There was a piercing whistle from the steam engine and before they knew it, the Hogwarts Express was chugging away from Hogsmeade Station. Sirius snored on as Dawn leaned over him so she could join Remus at the window, waving madly at Hagrid as he became smaller and smaller and finally disappeared with the rest of Hogsmeade. Remus slid the window closed once more and they all settled back into their seats. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were all planning a nice, quiet journey home, but Lily did know better. They were just saving themselves for the afternoon.

Peter was rummaging around in his bag for snacks, and Remus and Lily decided to patrol the train to get it over and done with. Dawn was still watching James, although now that the Express was on the move he'd abandoned the ladybugs and was conjuring random muggle household appliances. James was grinning to himself as he worked; Dawn knew he liked the attention and was only waiting for her to speak. After a few minutes, she decided to give him the satisfaction.

"That's really cool, James."

"Why, thankyou, Kitten dearest."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Will you help me?"

He rolled his eyes right back. "Thought you'd never ask. Where's your wand?"

Dawn slipped her wand from her belt and readied herself. James showed her the wand movements and then went through the incantation with her a few times until she had the pronunciation down.

"And what does this conjure?" she asked when she was finally ready to try it for herself.

"A… A toaster!"

But Dawn was so busy trying to mentally prepare herself for the potential disaster of her trying a new Charms spell for the first time that she didn't register his hesitation. She took a deep breath, pointed her wand exactly as James had instructed, and focused her concentration.

"_Levicorpus!"_

There was a flash and a horrible screeching sound; Peter was hanging upside down in the air, his feet grazing the ceiling of the carriage and his fingertips almost grazing the floor with his arms outstretched. Sirius snorted and jerked, banging his head against the window as he woke with a start. James screamed with laughter, slapping at his knees.

"Classic!"

"JAMES POTTER!"

The laughing stopped.

"You get him down right now!"

James was rapidly shrinking in his seat; Dawn's eyes were about to shoot laser death rays at him, but he tried to hold on to his cocky grin.

"But I didn't do anything, Kitten. You did." But at the look on Dawn's face, he hastily muttered the counter curse and followed it up with a quick cushioning charm to soften the blow as Peter crumpled to the floor of the compartment.

Sirius looked from Peter, to James, to Dawn. "Baby, did you just do what I think you did?"

"Shut up," Dawn grumbled. "Sorry Peter. I forgot about that whole thing where I should never – trust – a – word – that – comes – out – of – James' – mouth." She emphasised each word with a punch to James' arm so that he was left wincing and rubbing at it.

Finally managing to scramble back up to his seat, Peter grinned weakly. "It's ok… It was pretty funny."

Sirius snorted. "I'll say, Wormtail. We'd never have any laughs if we didn't have you."

"Thanks," Peter beamed. Then he started to fully process Sirius' sentence and his smile dimmed somewhat as he fell into quiet contemplation. It sounded like just a joke, but what did Sirius really mean by it? The others never laughed when he tried to do something funny, it was only when somebody else did something to him or he fell down or something that they laughed. Did that mean he was only good for a laugh when they were laughing at him? Were they just making fun of him?

The compartment door slid open and Lily and Remus strolled back in.

"We heard banging and loud cursing from further down the carriage, so naturally we thought of you guys," Remus said, reclaiming his seat.

"Minor mishap," James shrugged. "You know how it goes, Moony."

"That I most certainly do."

The trolley came as they were whizzing past a sleepy little village with cottages so quiet and peaceful that Dawn would almost believe they were abandoned if the gardens weren't bursting with well-pruned colour. James and Sirius each threw a handful of galleons onto the surface, the smiling old witch obliged them by handing over the entire contents of the cart and heading back towards the front of the train to collect more supplies for the rest of the students. The sugar hit was just what the Marauders needed; after piles of pumpkin pasties and cauldron cakes with sugar quills and Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans for dessert, their eyes were bright and wide, ready to tackle the afternoon even while the clouds darkened overhead.

"Well, who's got an idea?" Sirius asked, looking expectantly around.

"Please, nothing that's going to stink the train out," Lily groaned. "I don't fancy pulling into Kings Cross with a bubble head charm again."

"Fine," Sirius grumbled. "But I don't know what else we could do for fun."

"I do," Dawn piped up suddenly. "Lils, where are your CDs?"

"Why?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Because I wanna play Frisbee with Padfoot. What do you think? I want to dance!"

Lily obliged and dug out a stack of music for the group to sought through, and once she had the spell going, she and Remus tweaked the volume control until it was filtering throughout the entire carriage. Within minutes, they had it pumping throughout the rest of the Hogwarts Express. It didn't take long to get the students spilling into the corridors, and all of a sudden the train was a moving dance party.

They'd started at the very back of the train, but soon enough the Marauders had managed to work themselves into the thick of the throng around the middle carriages; a few of the Prefects were screaming for order but there was no way the crowd was going to let them through to the ringleaders, who didn't even notice the interruption. The Marauders were dancing with abandon, twisting and shaking and shouting along with the words until Dawn wondered if all the parents waiting at the Station would hear them coming miles away.

Nobody seemed to care as evening came on and the clouds overhead began to dump bucket loads of rain on the Hogwarts Express; they were safe inside, they were having fun, and they were going home. It wasn't until the train began to slow to pull up to the platform that Lily finally packed her CDs away, and an almost eerie quiet settled over the group as they began to organise their trunks to alight. Dawn was already tearing up, knowing that she was down to her few final, precious moments with Sirius until she didn't know when.

She lugged her trunk towards the carriage door behind the rest, trying to get a grip. The Express lulled to a stop on Kings Cross station, out the window Dawn could see clumps of parents under the shelter set a little ways back from the edge of the platform, they looked blurry and streaked in the rain and she couldn't tell who was who.

James didn't seem to have that problem; he shoved the door open and made a beeline for a little group of parents, instinctively knowing they belonged to him and his friends. Remus, Peter and Lily were right behind him, but as soon as they were off the train, the dam behind Dawn's eyes broke, tears drenching her face as the rain drilled into the rest of her body. Sirius arms went round her, they became a rock in the stream of students washing around them and his face was buried in her shoulder as he fought back his own emotions.

"Shh, baby," he whispered hoarsely. "It's ok. It's just a see-you-later, not a goodbye. Never a goodbye, ok?"

Dawn nodded. "I know. I'm just so afraid you'll go to that crappy horrible place and they'll make you forget how much I love you."

"Hey!" He shook her to make her meet his stare. "What do I have to do to convince you that nobody could make me forget you, or stop loving you, or keep me from being with you?"

Dawn sucked her tears back. "Prove it."

"I will. Marauder's Honour."

She giggled as he grabbed his left butt-cheek, not caring who was watching. Then he was kissing her with so much heart that she couldn't breathe. They were completely drenched by the time they pulled apart, and they only stopped because it was slowly dawning on them that the whole train had emptied and families were even beginning to pass out through to the rest of the station.

"Sirius!" his mother barked.

Sirius quirked an eyebrow at Dawn. "The warden calls. I'll see you soon, Dawn, I promise. Love you."

"Love you, too."

With a final wink, and a touch of his hand to her cheek, he whirled, yelled a goodbye to the rest of the Marauders and Lily, and followed his family towards the exit. Finally realising how soggy she was, Dawn rushed over to her own family. The Potters dried her with their wands and enveloped her in a much more warming hug, complete with kisses.

"Let's go home, dear. You'll feel better with a good meal and some hot tea in you," Mom Potter promised.

Dawn smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go home."

She turned and hugged Lily and took the piece of parchment with the redhead's phone number and address scribbled on it. "You come and visit me this summer, Lily. I need someone to help me keep sane!"

"I will," Lily said, squeezing Dawn affectionately. Dawn went to pull away, but Lily clung on tight for a moment longer. "I don't blame you anymore," she whispered in a small voice.

Dawn just nodded her acceptance. What else could she say? She moved on to Peter, hugging him as quickly as she could to get the awkward moment over with, and stumbled into a much more comfortable embrace with her best friend.

"I've never had a best friend before," Remus confessed when he was sure none of the others would overhear him.

"Neither have I," Dawn replied. She squeezed his hand. "See you soon, Rem."

James had already said his goodbyes to the other male Marauders, which mostly consisted of "I'll floo you next week", so Remus and Peter collected their trunks and their parents and moved off the platform. James was standing in front of Lily, shuffling his feet and not quite looking her in the eye.

"Have a good summer, Evans," he muttered. He wasn't quite sure what else to say – he'd never actually had the chance for an end of year goodbye with her before. Usually she would just shove right past him with Isabel in tow, giggling madly and shrugging her shoulders at him before she called out "Better luck next year, Potter".

"You too, Potter. Take care."

He grinned, happy with that. Then Lily went to walk away and his hand shot out to stop her.

"Evans, wait a sec."

She raised her eyebrows to indicate that she was waiting and he tore his hand away from her arm.

"Look, I know you're not exactly mad about me – yet," he flashed a cocky grin for old times' sake, "But don't not visit Dawn this summer just because of me. She deserves better."

"I know. I wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, I know that. But I just wanted to make it clear that I want you to come around for Dawn, and not be scared off because of me."

"Don't flatter yourself, Potter. I'll see you later."

She turned and walked away.

James grinned to himself. "Bye, Lily."

His father cuffed him affectionately round the ear. "Come on, you lot. Let's go home."

**

* * *

**

**EPILOGUE**

Her room was even more beautiful than she could have imagined. She had told her foster mother that the room they had dubbed as hers over Christmas was absolutely perfect as it was, but Mom Potter had insisted on decorating, "because it didn't seem right that she move into a room that wasn't brand new and entirely hers". So the walls had been painted a creamy peach colour, the room trimmed with rich maroon in the rug, the curtains framing the balcony, and the bed hangings of the new four-poster bed.

Cecilia had thought of everything; the wardrobe and the bookshelves were all fully stocked, and Dawn even found a small tv and a stereo just for her. The detail even extended to the monogrammed towels in her ensuite; Dawn spent what felt like hours exploring every new and wonderful detail of her new home before she even thought of unpacking.

It didn't take her long to transfer all her clothes and books to their proper places, and to find space on the shelves for all the little knick-knacks and photographs she'd acquired over the course of the year. She was just finishing reconstructing Newman's home in the bottom drawer of the chest at her bedside when there was a knock at the door.

James was staring around in awe at what was a much cleaner, more pastel, more femininely decorated version of his own room. "This place looks great."

Dawn grinned. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

He perched on the edge of her bed and she joined him once Newman was safely tucked in.

"So, you really like it, Dawn? You're really happy here?"

"How could I not be?" Dawn countered, looking around at her new room; thinking about the whole new life she'd created for herself in this world. "I love it here, you know that. I feel like… Like I belong here."

James took his sister's hand. "Probably because you do belong here, Kitten. Welcome home."

Dawn looked at James and they both smiled.

* * *

**THE END**

**PS- Keep an eye out for the sequel, it will be called 'Both Sides Now' and should be out sometime in the next millennium! XX00**


End file.
